In Winter Semester 2024/25 the course established within the framework of the Knowledge Transfer Centre South (WTZ Süd) will continue to be held at the Graz University of Technology. The goal is to contribute to the professionalisation of industry-science-co-operations by conveying essential competences to different target groups.

Course “Inventions, Patents, and Technology Exploitation”

  • Seminar for PhD-Students
  • to be held in WS 2024/25
  • to be held in English
  • one semester credit hour, blocked

 
Students from other universities may simply register at the Graz University of Technology. More details at tugraz.at.

Contents:

  • Intellectual Property
    Fundamentals on intellectual property and intangible property rights / IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) general overview of the topic „IPR“, as opposed to tangible goods
    Classification of Intellectual Property Rights: patents, registered designs and brands, properties, differences and similarities
    Patent Laws: general provisions of the Patent Law in Austria as well as in Europe, invention, patentability, requirements
  • Patent Search
    Drawing up a patent strategy: Criteria and deadlines of the patent application process starting with the patent specification and ending with the granting of a patent, advantages and disadvantages of different patent application procedures (countries, regions), financial and legal effects of patent applications
    Patent protection and dealing with employee inventions
  • Commercialisation of Intellectual Property
    Commercialisation strategy, Drawing up a commercialisation strategy: Preparation of a Technology Offer, „Do´s & Dont´s“ of a successful research and contacting of potential licensees/buyers of the technology. The goal is to present to the audience how the invention may professionally be commercialised. Commercialisation options, negotiations: In order to demonstrate the three most important commercialisation options for intellectual property – sale, licensing and start-ups, the participants will be able to take part and play different roles in a special „Licensing-Game“ in order to practise in a real negotiation situation. The goal is to teach the participants how to gain more security and professionalism in the commercialisation of their invention and intellectual property (License agreements, etc.)
  • Handling of IPR in Contracts
    Co-operations with industrial partners in third-party funded projects as well as in contractual research or service contracts (Non-Disclosure-Agreements, Material Transfer Agreement, etc.)


Targets:

  • Knowledge on intellectual property and intangible property rights as opposed to tangible goods
  • Defining appropriate intellectual property rights, clearly state the difference and similarities
  • Performing a proper patent search, decide independently if the research project and/or a patent application is reasonable or not in a particular case
  • Developing patenting and commercialisation strategies
  • Knowledge on important issues in handling inventions in third-party funded co-operation projects and all about the legal provisions of the transfer of intellectual property rights to industrial partners
  • Knowledge on most important points as well as pitfalls for IPR in contracts as well as R&D contracts and avoiding the most common Problems

 

Written by: Graz University of Technology, AM
on: 26/03/2024