Tell Me So I Can Help

 can’t help you if I don’t know what you’re doing.  And that’s really the bottom line on any university’s need for disclosures.  It’s not at all about taking something from you.  If the discovery is entirely yours because it was developed outside the scope of your university employment, we will be the first to acknowledge that.  And even then, it will better position us to help you if you desire.  And if you have any lingering concerns about IP ownership, we have been re-designing the disclosure process to not just be simpler, but to erase any of those lingering ownership concerns.

Originally, I was going to do a blog that humorously listed the top ten reasons you should disclose…and I still have that list.  But the more I thought about this, the more I came to believe that this is all about opening the door to provide you as much help as possible to get your discovery into the marketplace.  For the marketplace is the ultimate judge of success or failure.  It’s the ultimate judge as to whether your discovery will truly impact society.  And that’s true whether the path forward is licensing to market-ready company or going the startup route.

Taking a discovery to the market without a clear understanding of your IP ownership position is fraught with risk.  Why?  Well, for starters, investors won’t touch an opportunity if it has any kind of IP ownership cloud around it.  And then there’s the specter that competitors will pick off your invention along your journey to the market if the invention itself is not properly protected.  Help us help you!

The bottom line is that it’s in every inventor’s best interest to disclose as early as possible.  And under today’s laws, that means disclosing before anything is published.  Disclosing and starting down the IP protection path, whether via patent, trademark or copyright does not hinder any future publication.  It simply protects you!

So what are some of the ways we can help you?

• Take advantage of programs and opportunities like iPath and the Growth Fund; getting your disclosure out of the way makes for a quicker and easier time accessing these valuable tools.
• Leverage our intellectual property expertise by tapping into our awesome OTC staff – more than anyone, they can guide you on things like getting your discovery into the market.
• If it is determined to be university property, quickly find out how easy it can be to either license it for your own company or obtain an option to explore its market potential more fully.  Stay tuned for an upcoming Blog on our Limited Use License that eliminates early costs from the process!

We’re here to help in ways we haven’t even dreamed of yet – because we are entrepreneurs ourselves.  Help us help you forge new solutions!

Now back to that Top Ten list….