FAQs & Policies and Guidelines

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FAQs & Policies and Guidelines

FAQs & Policies and Guidelines

Here are some commonly asked questions and answers on how Technology Transfer and Innovation (TTI) can work with you to protect, manage and commercialise your research.

Intellectual Property

What Is intellectual property?

What can be patented and is my idea patentable?

What type of protection does a patent actually grant?

How do I get started submitting an invention to TTI?

If you have an invention to disclose, please complete the form here. After it is received by our office, one of our case officers will schedule a meeting with you to further discuss the invention. After conducting a review of the technology to determine patentability and feasibility of commercialisation, they will provide a recommendation for the appropriate type of protection for your invention.

How long does TTI take to decide whether or not to file a patent application for my invention?

How does TTI decide on whether to file a patent application or not?

Once TTI decides to file on my invention, do I automatically have a patent?

How long does it take for a patent to be granted?

Who drafts the patent application?

How long does it take to file a patent application?

Depending on the number of claims and complexity of the subject matter, it can take anywhere from 1 day to 1 month to draft and file a provisional patent application. A lot of it can depend on the availability of inventors to respond to questions posed by the lawyers during the drafting process. Provisional applications can be filed rather quickly if there is an urgent need but this practice is discouraged as it leads to very weak patent applications.

Who owns the invention and patent rights?

Can early disclosure of an invention compromise the right to protect my invention?

In most countries, the right of patent protection is lost or jeopardized if a public disclosure is made prior to the filing of a patent application. A public disclosure is information about the invention that is readily available to the public and that is “enabling” – meaning it describes of the technology in enough detail that someone else in the field would be able to make and use the invention.
We therefore urge you to contact our office once you become aware of an impending public disclosure. We will work with you to evaluate and protect your invention without affecting the timeline of your publication or conference proceedings.

What constitutes a public disclosure?

How do I decide who to include as an inventor on a patent application?

Policies and Guidelines for Researchers

It is important that you be aware of and abide with the following IP-related policies:

Policies Relating To University Intellectual Property (version 110309)

The main purpose of the Policies set out in this document is:

To clarify and regulate the protection, management and commercialisation of University Intellectual Property;
To delineate the rights and obligations of the University and the University Members with respect to the Intellectual Property created or developed in the course of University Research;
To motivate the creation, development and dissemination of Intellectual Property by providing appropriate financial rewards to the creators and the University.

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Conflict of Interest Policy Relating to Spin-Off Companies

Some of the companies the University licenses its IP (“Spin-offs”) to involve University staff, alumni, and/or students who have a financial interest in the company. The growth of such licensing activities has given rise to questions about how the University should go about licensing its technology to a Spin-off as well as what other relationships the University should have with these companies. This Conflict of Interest Policy Relating to Spin-Off Companies aims to deal with how the University should handle certain issues involving Spin-offs and is meant to guide staff as to some things to watch out for. Staff can make a formal declaration using the Form: Application For Approval To Participate in a Spin-Off (Appendix D, ILO-COI_01/17).