Understanding Intellectual Property for Researchers
Learn about University of Otago IP policies and how Otago Innovation helps researchers to protect and commercialise their intellectual property
Otago researchers are creating IP every day through research discoveries, copyright, patents, know-how and designs. If you believe your research could be commercialised for public use and benefit, the first step is to ensure your intellectual property is protected and for you to confidentially share your idea with us.
Inventions from academia are typically in the very early stages of development and require significant investment before bringing a product to market. Intellectual property protection can provide the necessary incentive for external companies to license, invest in, or otherwise pursue such a project. Conversely, unprotected intellectual property that has been inadvertently disclosed via publication or public presentation may significantly limit the value of or preclude commercialisation.
The first step to protecting your idea is to submit an idea disclosure to Otago Innovation, which involves providing a confidential description of your invention or development to us. The disclosure will form the basis of a commercialisation assessment and so should include any information necessary to begin pursuing protection and commercialisation activities, including sponsors of the research and the current state of development.
To begin the process, University Staff and Postgraduate students can disclose an idea using our form (University login required) or contact our team. You can also learn more about intellectual property below.
TALK TO OUR TEAM ABOUT YOUR IDEA
Patenting Otago inventions
While there are many types of formal and informal protection available, patents are the primary protection for commercially valuable research discoveries. Patents protect your inventions for 20 years, giving monopoly rights over the strictly defined invention. For an idea or invention to be patentable it must be new (novel) and inventive. This means that the idea must not be:
- disclosed or used before filing a patent application, or
- an obvious variation on existing products or publications.
Early disclosures can include public presentations, posters, peer reviewed articles, early access manuscripts (e.g. ArXiV), blog posts, or discussions with commercial parties. If you are unsure about early disclosure risk then contact Otago Innovation to explore this further.
At Otago Innovation, the first step when assessing an idea will be to determine whether an idea appears to meet these criteria. If patent protection appears feasible and the commercial potential for the technology is validated, Otago Innovation may cover the costs of filing for patent protection. Filing for IP protection is only the first step in the patenting process, which is outlined in the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) resources available here: https://www.wipo.int/en/web/about-ip
TALK TO OUR TEAM ABOUT YOUR IDEAPatenting and publishing
We know that publishing is integral to academic success. Otago Innovation can work with you and research team to form a strategy which enables you to publish preserving the commercial potential of your idea.
TALK TO OUR TEAM ABOUT YOUR IDEADetermining Ownership of Your Intellectual Property
If an invention is successfully commercialised, under the University of Otago Intellectual Property Policy, inventors and contributors are eligible to receive a share of the financial rewards from that venture.
“Kei ōu ringaringa te ao. – The world is at your hands.”
– Maori Proverb