The University owns all rights to all patentable inventions arising from University Research. The University shall make an initial decision of whether to pursue a patent or other legal protection within six months of initial disclosure. If the University elects to pursue a patent or other legal protection, all costs shall be borne by the University or by a sponsor or licensee.

Creators must be aware that an invention may become unpatentable unless a formal application is filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in a timely manner. Additionally, special rules that vary from country to country govern the time limits within which foreign patent protection may be acquired.

For more information, please see the complete Intellectual Property Policy of the University of Notre Dame.

Date last revised Feb 2002