Advice For You

Whether you are about to embark on a research project, you already have have useful results or you have a really great solution, we recommend you learn a little about intellectual property and the assistance that HSC Innovations can provide.

For Researchers

You can learn a little about intellectual property, including patents, on our intellectual property pages.

We have a summary of HSC policy, including the Research Governance Framework and the Innovation Policy. The Innovation Policy deals with intellectual property ownership and sharing revenue with inventors.

If you are collaborating, whether with a university, company or contractor, you will need to consider collaboration agreements that deal with intellectual property. If you need to share material, not least human tissue, you will require one or more material transfer agreements.

Before a patent application is filed, or if you need to share valuable intellectual property, you need to be aware of the need for confidentiality and confidentiality agreements.

Researchers can make protection of inventions easier by maintaining proper laboratory notebooks.

Support from HSC Innovations

HSC Innovations is always available to provide advice to members of HSC staff on intellectual property matters. In general we are only able to provide significant resources to those solutions that are both protectable by a patent and commercially viable. Some of the support that we provide is summarised below.

We will assess your solution for patentability and commercial viability. This will involve prior art searches, market research and perhaps a freedom to operate assessment. We will undertake a valuation of your solution, taking into account the patentability and market research.

We will assist in procuring a patent attorney and filing for patent protection.

We will work with you on next steps to further develop your solution, includng help to promote your solution, form commercialisation plans and seek partners.

We will provide advice on intellectual property considerations in agreements and contracts with others, for example confidentiality, material transfer, research, trial and licensing agreements.

 

Key Messages

DO talk to HSC Innovations at an early stage about any aspects of intellectual property.

DO make sure appropriate agreements are in place with partners, for example universities and companies.

DON’T publish, discuss or disclose the idea or invention before it is protected.

DON’T ignore intellectual property emerging from research or practice. You can benefit from its exploitation.