Intellectual Property & Commercialisation - Keele University

Intellectual Property and Commercialisation

What is Intellectual Property (IP)?

Intellectual Property (IP) is ideas, information and knowledge; in a University context IP can be viewed as the results and outcomes of research. ‘Intellectual’ because it is creative output and ‘Property’ because it is viewed as a tradeable commodity.

Why does Keele need IP?

For the University it is one method of monitoring its level of research and collaboration activities and reflects upon the Institutes general level of technology and is a way of showing a return on that investment and is a key element of Government Enterprise and Knowledge Transfer Policy. Fundamentally it is also a method of securing investment and income streams to the inventors, departments and the University.

Successful management of IP provides the means by which individuals and institutions are able to protect their creative outputs from imitators. An understanding of IP is an increasingly important aspect of University and business life. Research and Enterprise Services (RES) has expertise in IP management and is responsible for managing the University IP portfolio.

 

Staff resources

Keele operates a Keele Commercialisation Policy  that is currently under review. General guidelines on IP Handbook currently unavailable.

Before discussing with clients, it is advisable to have a Confidential Disclosure Agreement . This should be undertaken with RES support and sign as RES maintain and manage the process.

 

Contractual legal advice for staff

RES has dedicated support teams that are here to facilitate and manage contractual aspects of research and collaboration activities. Staff at Keele should ensure that Keele has not entered into a contractual obligation that could cause potential liabilities, indemnities, Intellectual Property issues or financial constraints.

Keele operate within stringent procurement, financial and legal contractual procedures, please therefore at the earliest opportunity include RES into the discussions you are having. RES have standard template documentation that must be used in establishing contractual arrangements that will require centrally administrating and managing on behalf of Keele.

 

Contact  01782 733726  res@keele.ac.uk