DCU launches fast-track patent licence scheme
To mark World Intellectual Property Day on Friday 26th April, Dublin City University, Ireland’s University of Enterprise, is announcing its fast-track DCU Licence Express scheme which will make selected patented innovations available to industry and entrepreneurs. This move, the first by an Irish university, will help to ensure that research funded by the Irish Exchequer is widely promoted and will make it much easier for companies to gain access to university technologies.
DCU Licence Express has been developed in response to the Government’s National Intellectual Property Protocol published in June 2012 which aims to make it easier for entrepreneurs to access technological innovations. The Licence Express will offer on-line exclusive and non-exclusive template licences to companies or entrepreneurs who must propose credible business plans. Proposals will be selected by DCU on the basis of potential impact to the Irish economy in terms of jobs or exports. Royalties will not be due for a period of four years and there will be no up-front payments due to the university. Ongoing royalties after the initial four years will be at a rate of only 1% of nett sales.
Commenting on the new initiative, Richard Stokes, Director of Innovation at DCU and Director of Invent DCU Ltd said,
“As the leading Irish technology transfer centre over the last four years in traditional forms of licensing, Invent DCU continues to find new ways to engage with business and to ensure that state-funded innovations in a range of areas will be as accessible as possible. By standardising the licence agreement for this particular scheme in a two page document and with transparent commercial terms, we wish to speed up the process of reaching agreement and to encourage the application of innovations that require further investment for commercialisation. We will continue to use other forms of IP exploitation involving collaborative research and licensing to industry as well as encouraging spin-out companies where the route to market has been agreed in advance with business partners.”
Entrepreneurs or businesses interested in finding out more about DCU Licence Express should contact Richard Stokes, E: Richard.stokes@dcu.ie, www.dcu.ie/invent.