Every invention made by an employee of the University or a student of the University engaged in academic work utilizing facilities of the University needs to be reported to the University.
All inventions should be carefully documented in a laboratory notebook. Documentation should include the date of conception, purpose of the invention, and the methodology used in the experimentation. Notebook entries should be dated and signed by the inventor and witnessed by at least one other individual who is familiar with the science but would not be considered a co-inventor.
The inventor must complete and submit to its campus technology transfer office (TTO) University form number UM 16C "Disclosure of Invention", or UM Form 16D "Plant Variety Protection Act Form". You may obtain these forms from your campus TTO or from the forms section of this site.
Your campus TTO will review the invention for potential patentability and commercial potential. Because of the great expense associated with patenting, the University strives to identify a licensee or research partner for disclosed inventions prior to authorizing the filing of patent applications. However, your campus TTO has been provided with a modest budget that will allow pursuit of a limited number of cases without a licensee.
Should your campus TTO make the decision to conduct a patentability assessment or seek patent protection for an invention, it will act as the liaison with the law firm designated to prepare and prosecute the case. |
