True stories have the power to change lives and alter outcomes, but that can only happen if they are told and shared. Stories that go untold risk being lost to the world forever, almost as if they never happened at all. The morning newspaper would create a lasting record of every important story unfolding in […]
Tech transfer agreements, which allow companies to license inventions created at universities and other research institutions, can be complex and require careful management in order to be successful. These agreements typically include milestones that must be met by the licensee in order to keep the license and continue developing the technology. However, research and development […]
In the high-stakes world of nonprofit fundraising, Ken Jones’ methodology can be compared to that of Sherlock Holmes. Like the fictional literary character, Ken approaches situations by applying his powers of observation, investigation, and logic. Sherlock calls himself a “consulting detective” and Ken is a consultant too, although he doesn’t investigate crimes – instead, his […]
Licensing officers who work in tech transfer offices each have a portfolio of inventions they manage. For example, the Director of a tech transfer office might have a portfolio containing 350 inventions. The Director will vet them and decide what to do with them, plus handle the licensing, marketing and negotiating, and follow up with […]
Venture capitalists are skilled at tracking what’s happening in their field of interest. They watch for trends and product life cycles. When they feel the time is right to jump into the field, they will look for wise places to invest. They are also highly specialized, so they will monitor what’s happening and pull in […]
There are processes in place to help inventors maximize the value of their inventions, but the investigators aren’t always aware of what they should do.
Even if an invention doesn’t have what it takes to be commercially viable, there are many publications that create opportunities for investigators to make their work available at no cost to the public. There are a vast number of journals in each specialization that exist to publish specialized highly technical work. Getting published is important […]
Tech transfer offices at universities will be looking at the invention myopically as they try to figure out how to best manage it. They can’t do that effectively without knowing everything else happening at all the other research centers. There could be damage done to a body of intellectual property if it is fragmented and […]
When an academic inventor presents their invention to the tech transfer office at the school where they work, the licensing officers analyze whether it would be attractive for licensing. If it doesn’t give a commercial entity a competitive advantage in their field, it is unlikely to be a candidate for commercial development, so it wouldn’t […]
When inventions are created at a workplace, the employer owns the invention. Similarly, the university owns the inventions created by their faculty, although the investigator receives some of the proceeds if the invention is licensed. Tech transfer offices license IP rights with the expectation and contractual requirement that the licensee will actively seek to develop […]