Standard 3.05: Intellectual property
RBTs don't misuse the intellectual property of the BACB, such as its certification titles and exam content, or of others, such as an employer's proprietary materials. In practice, they use the RBT title only as their certification status allows, keep exam content confidential, and don't copy or share materials that belong to someone else without permission.
What it means in practice
BACB intellectual property includes the certification titles and marks ("Registered Behavior Technician" and "RBT") and examination content. Use the RBT title only for yourself and only in a way that reflects your actual status; the RBT Handbook says inactive RBTs may not present themselves as active. Exam content is never shared (see 3.03).
Other people's intellectual property includes your employer's program templates, curricula, training videos and data systems, and published, copyrighted assessment tools and protocols. Don't copy, post or take these materials without permission, including when you change jobs.
Scenarios
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| You're leaving your job and want to copy the agency's program templates and training slides to use at your new job. | Don't take them without the agency's written permission. They belong to your employer. |
| Your certification has expired, but your email signature still says "Jordan Lee, RBT". | Remove the title right away. Using the RBT title when you aren't actively certified misuses the BACB's certification title and misrepresents your status. |
| You want to post photos of a published assessment's scoring pages in a study group to help other RBTs. | Don't post them. The assessment is copyrighted, and sharing its pages is unauthorized use of someone else's intellectual property. |
Practice questions
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Question 1Someone who has completed the 40-hour training but has not yet passed the RBT exam adds "RBT" after their name online. How is this best described?
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D: Misrepresentation of BACB certification. Only people who hold RBT certification may present themselves as RBTs, and an inactive RBT may not represent themselves as active. The BACB may seek legal and other remedies when its certification marks are misused or misrepresented.
- A: Finishing the training is only one eligibility step; the person is not certified.
- B: A pending application does not make someone an RBT.
- C: An employer cannot grant a BACB credential or permission to use its title.
Task F.6 · RBT Handbook p. 1 · RBT Ethics Code 3.05
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Question 2An RBT finds their agency's internal training slides and data sheets very useful. They want to upload them to a public study website. What should they do?
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C: Not upload them without the employer's permission. RBTs do not misuse the intellectual property of others, such as an employer's proprietary materials. Sharing them publicly requires the owner's permission.
- A: Removing names does not address the main issue: the materials belong to the employer.
- B: Educational value does not give permission to share someone else's proprietary materials.
- D: Credit is not permission; the employer still owns the materials.
Task F.6 · RBT Ethics Code 3.05
Answer every question to see your score.
Where it sits in the code
Standard 3.05 is in section 3, Responsibilities to the BACB and BACB-Required Supervisor, of the RBT Ethics Code (2.0). On the exam it relates to task F.6 Public statements and social media. Read the official text for the exact wording.
Related standards: 3.03 Exam and competency assessment integrity, 1.05 Accurate claims about qualifications and services, 3.07 BACB account and certification status.