When to Contact OPITT

If you find yourself in any of the following situations, please contact OPITT so we can work together throughout the Patent, technology transfer and commercialization processes:

• If you have developed an invention
• If you are named as an inventor on a patent application filed by a company or a branch of the U.S. government
• If you are asked to provide unpublished information or research results to a company
• If you are going to publish a paper or give a presentation about a research project that may involve a new invention
• If a company expresses a desire to license technology from your laboratory
• If you already have or would like to start a company based on technology developed at the university
• If you discovery or invent a new way, method, apparatus for accomplishing a particular function that, to your knowledge, has not been done yet
• If after searching publications and other research papers and you can’t find anything that discusses the invention you are proposing to investigate
• If you are not sure how to maintain your lab notebook so that you can protect your invention adequately
• If you are ready to start the patenting process by filling out an Invention Disclosure
• If you would like assistance in searching patent and non-patent related documents to see if there is anything similar to your invention

Please take the time to review OTC’s standard invention disclosure form and keep it in mind when you are conducting research at the University. If you do invent a new or improved technology, complete the form and submit it to OTC.