Intellectual Property a brief introduction

1st November 2012 Andrew Wilson Technology Transfer Project Manager Research, Business and Innovation

 Importance Definitions Who owns your research?

1st Survey on IP education in HE NUS/IPAN

Most students believe that the way they are taught about intellectual property (IP) does not equip them for their future careers.
Universities and colleges focus too much on the negative aspects of plagiarism and not enough on the benefits of IP rights, such as patents and registered designs.

Gowers review of IP
For many citizens, Intellectual Property (IP) is an obscure and distant domain its laws shrouded in jargon and technical mystery, it applications relevant only to a specialist audience. And yet IP is everywhere. Even a simple coffee jar relies on a range on IP rights from patents to copyright, designs to trade marks.

Importance of IP

Ideas are expensive to produce and cheap to copy (blockbuster films 100M, blockbuster drugs B) Product development, marketing and sales is an expensive and time consuming process up to 13 years to get drug to market Intellectual Property Right framework is in place to encourage innovation in all fields of arts and science (and investment in R&D by companies) and to make innovations publicly available to that others can build up them.

Patent nuclear wars in tablet and smart phone space

Hargreaves Review 2011

External environment why IP important to UWE

Apart from building and land IP is usually a universities most valuable asset Funders want bang for their bucks (eg Charities, companies, government, Research Councils, Hefce) They always have done but increasingly they want this demonstrated by Universities IMPACT agenda Charities, companies, government, Research Councils, Hefce Theyre investing in research for a reason - better treatments, quality of life, and UK Plc

Intellectual Property - an overview

Intellectual coming from the human mind Property a tradable commodity like a car or a house IPRs can be sold (assigned), rented (licensed) Intellectual Property is the term used to describe the outputs of creative endeavour in literary, artistic, industrial, scientific and engineering fields which can be protected under legislation.

Intellectual Property Rights give legal recognition to the ownership of intellectual property.

IP = research outputs

Intellectual Property Rights an overview

Type of IP
Patents

What it protects
How things work. New ideas capable of being made or used and involving a non-obvious inventive step. Secret information, formulae, ideas, results and expertise.

Term
20

Know how / confidential information

Copyright

Design rights (registered and unregistered) Trade marks (registered or unregistered) Plant breeders rights Database rights

Indefinite (unless disclosed). NDAs often have terms Written work, films, videos, typographical 70 years from arrangements, including computer software, music, death of art, drawing and data. creator, usually How things look. Form and appearance of objects 15/25 (including semiconductor topographies). Distinguishing symbols. Product brand names, company logos etc. New plant varieties. Databases and collections of information. Indefinite

25-30 15

What has IP got to do with me?

You all create IP during the course of your research, eg ideas, documents, drawings, papers etc The outputs of your research will be beneficial in someway. Giving consideration to IP dissemination / exploitation may help maximise this. IPRs Protect the output of your research, enables you to control use by others and may enable you exploit them and to subsequently benefit financially You shouldnt use other IP without permission / licence It is likely to be important to future employers so its useful to be able to demonstrate an understanding

UWEs IP Policy
http://rbi.uwe.ac.uk/Internet/contracts/default.asp

Student IPR
Undergraduate and students on taught courses generally student owned (unless otherwise agreed eg 3rd party funding or use of UWE background IPR) Postgraduate UWE claims ownership of IPR

Publication requires permission from UWE (except theses)

Confirmation in writing to be bound by IP Policy and Regulations good idea to read

Student IPR
May be asked to sign Assignment of IPR agreement If IP of future value or required due to 3rd party terms If so this agreement will be explained in detail before you are asked to sign Treated as member of staff for revenue sharing Professional support for commercialisation Marketing Patent/legal costs

Revenue sharing from exploitation of UWE IP

Net Revenue Any sum

Inventors share 50%

Faculty share 25%

University share 25%

Further information
UK Intellectual Property Office (general IP information and searching) - www.ipo.gov.uk
www.own-it.org Own-it practical advice, creative focus Supervisor

Faculty Research Office

RBI