Processes for disclosing inventions, software, and tangible materials

The following is relevant to faculty, students, and staff that have questions about their rights and responsibilities in the development of intellectual property, and the procedures for disclosing to the University a patentable invention, tangible material, as well as copyrightable software (including multimedia which embeds software), or technical data.

• A patent protects novel ideas for useful products and methods. The UC Patent Policy (revised October 1, 1997) governs the ownership of patentable inventions at the University. If you have or are developing a patentable invention or want to license tangible materials, then please see go to Invention Disclosures.
• A copyright, in contrasts, protects the expression of original ideas, but not the ideas themselves. Software may contain copyrightable or patentable material, or both. If you are an author of software (including multimedia with embedded software), then please go to Software Disclosures.

University of California Technology Licensing Policies

• UC Patent Policy
• UC Copyright Policy
• UC Equity Policy
• UC Systemwide Policies and Guidelines (UCOP)
• Guidelines on University-Industry Relations
• Licensing Guidelines (UCOP)
• Conflict of Commitment - APM 025 [PDF] (UCOP)
• Other Useful Sites (at UCB and elsewhere)