FAQs and Policies

Ohio's lieutenant governor and the Inter-University Council of Ohio collaborated with tech transfer offices across the state to establish a best-in-class framework for licensing intellectual property (IP) developed at Ohio’s 14 public universities.

IP ownership hinges on your employment status, use of UC resources and other related agreements. Considerations include:

• Source of the funds or resources used to develop the invention
• Employment status at the time of the discovery
• Terms of any agreements related to the IP

UC generally owns inventions made using significant university resources or by employees within the scope of their employment. For more information, refer to UC's patent policy.

Applicable rules for copyrights can be found in UC’s copyright policy. In some cases, the terms of a sponsored research agreement or material transfer agreement may impact ownership. When in doubt, call UC's Tech Transfer office for advice at 513-558-6293.

You can disclose your idea at any point, but earlier is better. Submit a form when the idea first forms or after building a prototype, as this begins the commercialization process. Disclose your idea to UC's Tech Transfer office before any public sharing or presentation related to the discovery to protect your patent rights. Once you’ve submitted a form, the Tech Transfer team's knowledge, insights and legal qualifications are at your fingertips.

If an idea or invention is publicly disclosed — through publication or presentation — before a  patent application is filed, it may lose eligibility for patenting outside of the U.S. When completing your form, document any planned or past presentations, lectures, posters, abstracts, website descriptions, research proposals, dissertations or master’s theses, publications or other public disclosures related to your idea or invention.

After submitting a form, maintaining open communication — sending a manuscript to your licensing specialist along with a journal submission, for instance — can be highly beneficial for both the licensing process and the patent attorney handling your case.

• Ideas
• Software 
• Data
• Research tools
• Patentable discoveries

Publishing or presenting a discovery in public could limit your ability to obtain patent protection, especially internationally. Notify the UC Tech Transfer office of any plans to publish your findings as patent rights will be affected. By coordinating with your licensing specialist well before publicly communicating or disclosing the invention, you'll support both the patent process and marketing efforts.

Under UC policy, inventors receive a share of financial returns from licenses. Inventors may also benefit from industry relationships, which could lead to additional sponsored research and consulting opportunities.

Revenues from license fees, royalties and equity — minus any unreimbursed patenting and file expenses — are shared with inventors, colleges, departments and UC. Further details on revenue distribution can be found below.

For technologies disclosed after January 2019:

Less than $250,000:
60% to inventors / 40% to UC

$250,000 or more:
40% to inventors / 60% to UC

A patent attorney drafts and files applications, often requiring back-and-forth communication with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Patent prosecution may take years and several rounds of amendments before final approval is given.

The patenting process includes ideation and research, disclosure and assessment, marketing and protection, licensing, commercialization and revenue distribution. Your involvement varies based on interest and agreements, but keeping UC's Tech Transfer office updated on new discoveries is key.

Conflicts of interest arise when personal interests could influence your UC responsibilities. Guidance is essential when submitting proposals to external sponsors or when engaging with a company where a university employee holds an equity or management interest.

UC has established guidelines and procedures for identifying, protecting and licensing innovations resulting from university activities. Two times when guidance is required:

1. When research proposals are submitted to external sponsors (SRS)

2. When a license, option or MTA is being considered with a company in which the faculty member or any university employee has an equity or management interest. For additional information, contact the Office for Ethics in Industry Engagement.

Export control laws manage the distribution of sensitive technology across the world. UC complies with these laws to protect research and materials.

Export control laws have existed in the U.S. since World War II and manage the distribution of sensitive technology internationally. UC complies with these laws to protect research information and materials from being released to foreign nationals or representatives of any foreign entity, without first obtaining approval or licensing from the appropriate federal government agency.

More information can be found through UC’s Export Controls Office.