When should you tell us about your idea or invention?

The process of technology commercialisation can't start until you've told us about your idea, invention or new technology. In an ideal world, you would tell us about your ideas as soon as you possibly can.

One of the reasons we're so keen to hear about your ideas early is that it makes seeking intellectual property protection more straightforward. Protecting a novel technology through IP Rights such as patents is an important step in the commercialisation process, as it provides a substantial competitive advantage.

One significant requirement for patent protection is that an invention must be novel. This means that information on the invention should not be publicly available, either in written form or orally, before a patent application is filed. Once a patent application is filed, you can freely present and publish details of the technology.

If you disclose details of a novel invention publicly, IP protection is much harder to achieve. This can have a major impact on your ability commercialise research. Companies have to take a major risk when developing new products and are unlikely to do so if they will not enjoy the benefits of having a product or service no one else can offer.

It is therefore very important that you contact us early if you working on any novel research that could lead to commercial outcomes. You can contact us at any time - even if it's just to get on our radar - and we'll follow up regularly.

We understand the competitive nature of research and therefore won't delay your publication without explicit consent. A good time to contact us is as the draft publication is written, but prior to any external presentation of the concept. If in doubt, please contact a member of our team at the earliest opportunity. It is better for us to become involved at the earliest stages, rather than late in the research process, as this gives us more time to make a thorough assessment of the technology.

However, if we become involved later on, we are able to quickly make a decision about whether or not to protect and file a patent, or provide an opinion on whether your invention can be protected yet.

You should bear in mind that patenting is an expensive process, so we do not file patents on all the research that we deal with, and that sometimes a patent is not necessary - for example, when another form of IP protection is sufficient.

Why is intellectual property important to university researchers?

Intellectual property (IP) allows us to protect inventions arising from your research. Other parties cannot commercially exploit this IP without our permission. Imperial College London's IP policy will inform you of your rights as inventor regarding intellectual property you generate while employed by the College.

IP at Imperial College London

At universities, Intellectual Property is most frequently generated as the outcome of research activities. The most common types of IP rights that come out of research at Imperial are Patents, Copyright, Database Rights and Confidential Know-how. You can read some overview information on these below. IP also covers designs, trademarks, performer's rights, geographical indications and some other rights. More than one form of IP can apply to a single creation - for example software can sometimes be protected both by patents and copyright.

IP Overview

• Patents: Cover inventions which are novel, inventive and have a practical applications. Require an application and have a maximum duration of 20 years.
• Copyright: Covers literary, dramatic, musical, artistic works and software. An automatic right that does not require an application, and has a maximum duration of 70 years from the death of the author (depending on jursidiction).
• Confidential know-how: Covers unpublished confidential information, trade secrets, processes, methods and skills. Does not require an application, but does require careful management, and has an unlimited maximum duration.
• Database rights: Covers databases. Does not require an application, and has a maximum duration of 15 years.

Commercialisation specialists will work closely with you to determine what the best route to market for your technology is. Often, this will be to license your technology to an industrial partner. We license technology to small, growing companies, as well as large, established businesses.

Some factors that we will consider when working with you to decide the best approach to commercialisation for your technology include:

• The IP position - if it is narrow, licensing may be better.
• Is new IP likely? If not, licensing may be better.
• Is the technology core to your research area or future research? If so, a startup may be the most appropriate route.
• Does a potential industry partner exist with the skills, facilities and expertise to take your technology forward? If so, licensing could be the correct approach.

The decision on whether to form a startup or licence the technology to industry is taken jointly between the College's IPC and Startup teams and you, the inventor. Ultimately it will be a collaborative process.

Glossary of terms in licensing agreements

We take many factors into account in deciding whether to license its technology to an existing company or to establish a new startup company to develop and commercialise the technology. There is no pre-determined point during the technology evaluation process by which the decision must be taken. The criteria described below (and others) are continually monitored during the evaluation, and it may take some time for the final licence vs. startup decision point to be reached.