For Inventors: Resources
University Links
Office of Research and Project Administration
This is the University of Rochester ORPA web site. The site contains a wealth of University specific and external information. This is an excellent starting point for researching matters related to project and research administration, for finding funding opportunities, for understanding policies and procedures at the University, for continuing education, and much more. http://www.rochester.edu/ORPA
University Faculty Handbook
Resource for finding the policies and procedures that govern University of Rochester faculty. http://www.rochester.edu/provost/FacultyHandbook
Office of Human Resources
This is the University HR Office web site, where you can find information about working at the University of Rochester. http://rochester.edu/working/hr
External Links
U.S. Copyright Office
This is the official site of the United States Copyright Office, where you can find general copyright information, search copyright records, registration forms and fees, publications, law and policy, and more. http://www.copyright.gov
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
This is the official site of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, where you can find a wealth of information about the patents and trademarks, from general to legal, and more. The site also allows you to search the patents and trademark databases. The site includes an Inventor Support section, which, in addition to more detailed information and guidance on patents and trademarks, includes the Inventor's On-Line forum chat transcripts as well as links to patent and trademark related information in libraries across the country. http://www.uspto.gov
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is roughly the international/global
equivalent of the U.S. Copyright and Patents and Trademarks Offices. The site is a comprehensive resource
for all matters related to copyrights, patents and trademarks, and includes general and legal information,
instructions, registration information, and much more. Lastly, the site allows you to search the copyright,
patents and trademark databases for international applications and issued documents.
http://www.wipo.int
Google Patents
Google provided U.S. Patent database search. In addition to having the familiar flavor, Google Patents is somewhat easier to use that then USPTO search engine and displays patent documents and images using the standard web helper applications (Adobe Acrobat and JPEG). http://www.google.com/patents
Technology Transfer Tactics
Technology Transfer Tactics (TTT) is a monthly magazine/circular targeted at the process
of technology transfer. The site includes both free and subscription based content, and encompasses a range
of information, from blogs, vendor and job listings, to a range of other resources. The site also maintains
and provides information on technology transfer conferences worldwide.
http://www.technologytransfertactics.com
Wikipedia
A well known and accepted online encyclopedic resource, WikiPedia is a good place to
start when looking for introductory information on any topic, and includes a number of articles related to
inventing and the field of technology transfer (see, for example,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology_transfer).
The majority of articles have a linkout section that provides access to many outside resources.
http://www.wikipedia.com
Martindale
This is a directory of legal services and publications. The site will allow you to search for both legal services as well as published articles in your areas of interest and legal practice of choice. http://www.martindale.com
Evelexa BioResources
This is a “gateway to information, people, and capital for biotechnology startups.” To utilize the sites resources, you must sign up for a free membership. The site includes a national member company directory as well as a section on starting up a company, with a 100-page crash course guide on startups and accounting, funding, and legal overviews. http://www.evelexa.com
U.S. Small Business Administration
This is an official site for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and provides a
wealth of information on starting and running your own small business. The topics covered range from the
early planning stages, to starting up, running, and exit strategies, as well as links to many other
resources for startups.
http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/
FedLaw—Patent, Trademark, Copyright and Intellectual Property
This site is a summary of the domestic legislations relating to the patents, trademarks,
copyrights and intellectual properties. It also has a link back to the FedLaw site that contains an
organized index of all domestic legislations in effect.
http://www.thecre.com/fedlaw/legal23.htm
Council on Governmental Relations
Council on Governmental Relations (COGR) is an association representing the interests of research universities receiving a significant share of their funding from the federal government. The association currently has 150 member universities. The site contains a wealth of information on a range of topics of interest to researchers receiving federal funding, though a portion of it is available only to the researchers working at the member universities. http://www.cogr.edu
New York State Science and Technology Law Center at Syracuse University
The center aims to provide information, consultation and assistance on the legal issues related to inventions, startups, and beyond. It is a very comprehensive resource for legal matters. http://nysstlc.syr.edu/
New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation
“NYSTAR supports technology development, innovation, and commercialization leading to economic growth in New York State.” The site provides access to a rich set of information covering R&D, finance, legal matters in New York state, and as such is a very good starting point for researchers/inventors planning on working and/or starting a business in New York State. http://www.nystar.state.ny.us/goals.htm
Technology Commercialization Internet Research Guide
“The Internet provides much information on new technologies, intellectual property,
laws, regulations, funding, industry, market, and other subjects relating to the commercialization of
technology.” The site aims to sift through the many pages available, identify those resources that
contain valid information and provide a structured way to access the same quickly. If you’ve never
used it before, you are likely to require a new password which you can get for free by clicking on the link
on the left side of the page (“Don’t have a password?”).
http://technologycommercialization.syr.edu/
Inventor’s Handbook at the Lemelson-MIT Program
From the site: “This handbook was created by the Lemelson-MIT Program to address the independent inventor’s and aspiring entrepreneur’s most frequently asked questions regarding United States patents. We hope that this handbook will provide some helpful information on the patenting and commercialization processes.” This is an excellent summary resource. http://web.mit.edu/invent/h-main.html
Guide to Patent Searching from the University of Texas
Never searched for patents? This is a very good place to start, containing introductory
information as well as resources and strategies for searching.
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/engin/patent-tutorial/index.htm
The IP Mall at the Pierce Law Center
A good resource for the legal matters pertaining to intellectual property and technology transfer. Also provides access to the Pierce Law International Technology Transfer Institute, which aims to provide support for technology transfer initiatives internationally. http://www.ipmall.fplc.edu/
NIH Technology Transfer Policies and Guidelines
http://www.ott.nih.gov/policy/rt_guide.html
NHGRI at the NIH: Intellectual Property and Genomics
The site discusses issues to intellectual property and genetic and genomic research, both
from the legal as well as ethical standpoints.
http://www.genome.gov/19016590
The Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM)
AUTM is a “dynamic, global network of more than 3,500 technology transfer professionals who work in
academic, research, government, legal and commercial settings. AUTM is dedicated to promoting and supporting
technology transfer through education, advocacy, networking, and communication.”
(taken from the AUTM web site). The site provides many resources related to technology transfer and includes
general information, as well as access to publications, a calendar of events, job listings, and other
resources. Much of the material is free to all users, though the site does include content and services
exclusive to AUTM members.
http://www.autm.net/index.cfm
The Licensing Executives Society (LES)
LES is a professional society comprised of more than 6,000 members engaged in the transfer, use,
development, manufacture, marketing, and licensing of intellectual property within the United States and
Canada. This site provides information, resources, and networking opportunities for the Technology Transfer
community. Most of the material is free to all users, but some content is reserved for members.
http://www.usa-canada.les.org
Disclosure Forms
Invention Disclosure Form
A document that embodies the date of conception of, a complete description of, and all potential contributors to an invention being disclosed to the University of Rochester.
Copyright Disclosure Form
A document that embodies the date of creation of, a complete description of, and all potential contributors to a copyrightable work being disclosed to the University of Rochester.
Software Copyright Disclosure Form
A document that embodies the date of creation of, a complete description of, and all potential contributors to a copyrightable computer soft-ware program being dis-closed to the University of Rochester.