Technology Transfer and Commercialization

Step 1: Invention Disclosure
The researcher(s) submits a Disclosure of Invention Form describing the invention, detailing the funding used, the name of the inventor(s), any public disclosures or publications, and other information. The disclosure will then be reviewed and a meeting will be set up with the researcher to discuss the invention.

Step 2: Evaluation
The Office evaluates the invention disclosure for its patentability, potential commercial value and for the best modes of intellectual property protection and commercialization. If the invention is useful, novel, and non-obvious to those skilled in the field, then a decision would be made on whether or not to file a patent application.

Step 3: Patent Application
There is a grace period of one year between public disclosure and filing a patent application. In certain circumstances, a provisional patent application will be filed, giving the University one year in which to file a non-provisional patent. Due to the high cost of filing patent applications, the University does not file patent applications for all invention disclosures it receives. The commercial potential of the technology will be carefully considered before an application is filed. Once a decision has been made to file, our patent attorneys will handle the filing and prosecution of patent applications. Patents usually take an average of four to six years to issue and expire in 20 years from the date of filing. Once a patent has been issued, the University must pay maintenance fees to the USPTO every 4 or 7.5 years.

Step 4: Assessment and Marketing
Once a patent application has been filed, an assessment of the technology will be done. Vital details of the assessment will then be use to market the technology once the patent has been received.

Step 5: Licensing of Patents
The University’s goal is to put our inventions and discoveries in the hands of the public. Patented inventions are transferred to industry through a variety of licensing arrangements.

Step 6: Commercialization
Once a licensing agreement has been executed, the University monitors the licensee’s business development and compliance of performance milestones, coordinating patent prosecution, processing license income and distributing revenue according to the University’s IP Policy.

DISCLAIMER: The University cannot guarantee when a patent will be obtained from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Patent issuing times vary depending on a number of factors.