Brown Technology Innovations works with faculty and evaluates the novelty, potential patentability and commercial utility of inventions and if filed, negotiates licensing deals for commercialization. Inventors, their laboratories, their departments, as well as the university, all share in the proceeds generated from licensing of inventions.
Brown Technology Innovations
Reporting an Invention
Brown University Patent and Invention Policy
Brown University owns rights to inventions made by its faculty, graduate students and employees as further described in the Brown University Patent and Invention Policy.
Invention Disclosure Form
Inventors should disclose potentially patentable inventions to our office as early as possible by filling out an Invention Disclosure Form. Instructions are on the form itself.
It is critically important to submit an invention disclosure before making any public disclosures of the idea or invention (this includes giving presentations, submitting papers or posters, etc). Such public disclosures are likely to hamper or destroy our ability to file patents.
Contact
For more information, please contact Brown Technology Innovations at tech-innovations@brown.edu or (401) 863-7499.
Invention Disclosure FAQs
Fill in the invention disclosure form and return to Brown Technology Innovations at tech-innovations@brown.edu. If you have any questions, please either submit by email to the this address or contact Brown Technology Innovations at (401) 863-7499.
Yes. It is available here: Brown University Patent and Invention Policy.
Yes, inventors, their labs, their departments, as well as the university, all share in the proceeds generated from licensing of inventions as described in the IP policy.
The net royalties will follow the inventor. It is the responsibility of each inventor to keep Brown informed of their current address.
The net royalties assigned to an inventors’ laboratory will be given to that inventors’ department at Brown.
The Patent and Invention Policy does apply during sabbaticals and vacations because these are benefits of appointment at Brown. Ownership of intellectual property arising while a faculty member is on a leave of absence will depend upon the specific conditions of the leave of absence and a review of those conditions.
Yes. The University permits its faculty to engage in appropriate private consulting relationships. This is described more fully in the IP policy.
With regard to books and textbooks, the copyright will customarily be owned by the authors and any royalties earned will be paid to the authors. The University will receive no royalty under this circumstance. In those rare instances in which the University owns the copyright, the royalties will be distributed according to the standard formula in the policy.