Protection decisions for university-owned IP are made by the Technology Transfer Office with the approval of the Vice President for Research & Innovation Partnerships. Information regarding uses, markets, potential development costs and commercialization partners will be sought from the inventors and other interested parties to inform the decision process. Protection decisions include
-
-
- Types of protections such as patent, trademark or copyright.
- Geographies of protections sought.
Generally, the Technology Transfer Office uses external patent law firms to assure access to specialists in diverse technology areas for protection drafting and applications.
Pursuit and prosecution of protections
It is common for protection filings under review by the registration/patenting offices to incur rejections, amendments, revisions and responses. These actions will be managed, monitored and reviewed by the Technology Transfer Office. The Technology Transfer Office with the approval of the Vice President of Research and Innovation Partnerships determines what actions, if any, will be carried out.
Maintenance of Protections
Protections that have been legally granted often require payments to maintain the protection in the form of annuities or fees whose value and timing vary depending on the type of protection and issuing country. These protections will be periodically reviewed by the Technology Transfer Office to assess whether maintenance will continue. Abandonment of maintenance will need the approval of the Vice President for Research and Innovation Partnerships.