Office of Technology Commercialization - The University of Tulsa
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Research & Economic Development

Office of Technology Commercialization

The University of Tulsa’s Office of Technology Commercialization is an important economic development engine. The office assists faculty, staff, and students with developing intellectual property and connecting technology with industry partners who wish to commercialize discoveries made at UTulsa.

Institutions of higher learning like UTulsa are steeped in thoughts, ideas, research, and other creative endeavors. Capturing and protecting intellectual property rights is essential to universities, their employees, students, and the greater world. The most effective way to make inventions widely available is to commercialize those technologies and make them available for purchase. A critical step in making patentable inventions commercially attractive is to protect the intellectual property contained within a proprietary technology. UTulsa prioritizes the broad application of our intellectual achievements for the betterment of society and the growth of our nation’s economy.

It All Begins With Discovery

Intellectual property encompasses unique discoveries and creations of the mind. These include artistic and literary works, scientific discoveries like new organisms or forms of matter, inventions, computer programs, and commercially used symbols and names, among other things.

 

Legal protection for intellectual property takes several forms. The most important to UTulsa include:

  • Patents, which restrict to their owners the rights to use inventions for a specific length of time
  • Copyrights, which restrict to their owners the rights to use of literary and artistic works and certain computer programs
  • Trademarks or tradenames, which restrict their owners’ use of certain names and stylistic marks used to identify commercial products
  • Trade secrets, which secure the ability to protect inventions by restricting disclosure until they are protected with patent applications or copyrights

Each of these types of intellectual property protection is codified in the laws of nations.

Invention Disclosure Process

Step 1

Invention Recognition

For all UTulsa faculty, staff, and students, invention recognition is the critical initial stage before the written Disclosure of Invention. To determine whether an idea is patentable, four questions must be answered:

  1. Is the discovery new?
  2. Is it not obvious to an expert?
  3. Is the discovery or finding useful?
  4. Has it not been disclosed through publication or presentation?

If the answer to these questions is “yes,” you should discuss your invention with the Office of Technology Commercialization.

 

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Step 2

Review UTulsa's Intellectual Property Policy

View our IP Policy

Step 3

Complete a Disclosure of Invention Form

Complete the Disclosure of Invention form and submit it to tu-invents@utulsa.edu for review. Upon evaluation, the appropriate steps may be taken to obtain a patent, copyright, or trademark to safeguard the intellectual property.

Invention Disclosure Form Submit Disclosure Form

Step 4

Commercialization and Licensing Negotiations

Once the intellectual property is protected and licensed, commercialization and royalty arrangements shall be negotiated. Before publishing or publicly disclosing your work, please see information below and contact the Office of Technology Commercialization for assistance.

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Disclosing your invention to UTulsa does not prohibit publication of your research, but publication or public disclosure before submitting the Disclosure of Invention to the UTulsa Intellectual Property Committee and filing the patent application could have an adverse impact. A U.S. patent application must be filed within one year of public disclosure to protect U.S. patent rights. Foreign patent rights are adversely affected or forfeited if publication or other public disclosure precedes the patent application. Public disclosure, such as an oral presentation to one or more individuals (other than UTulsa colleagues), media coverage, correspondence to a friend, publication, or other outlets, accelerates the necessity to process a patent application to protect U.S. patent rights. Discussion with colleagues within your department or with university committees with a “need to know,” such as department chair, collegiate dean, and Intellectual Property Committee, does not constitute public disclosure.

Contact the Office of Technology Commercialization for assistance:

William “Bill” Lawson, Director of Technology Commercialization

tu-invents@utulsa.edu or 918-631-3335

Rose Gamble, Vice President for Research & Economic Development

gamble@utulsa.edu or 918-631-2988