Licensing & Commercialization
Patenting the invention that results from your research is not just a good idea, it’s UT System Policy (Regents' Rules, Series 90000: Intellectual Property).
The Office of Technology Commercialization is here to help you comply with regulations and ensure your success through the process of technology commercialization.
Our job starts as soon as you disclose an invention.
Thinking of launching a start-up based on your discoveries? The UTRGV Start-up Guide can help you get started!
Things you should know:
- All inventions and software are owned by the UT System Board of Regents.
- Inventors get 30-50% of royalties automatically.
- We can file a provisional patent even while you’re actively working on the invention.
Don't make these mistakes!
Don't publish or disclose your invention before you protect your patent rights.
- Any public disclosure limits our chance to patent in the U.S., and completely kills our chance to patent in the rest of the world. This includes publishing a paper. Call us first, 3 months prior.
Don't send or accept research samples without an agreement in place.
- First, have a Material Transfer Agreement in place to settle who-owns-what and to prevent lawsuits. We’ll also check export controls for you.
Don't sign agreements.
- Faculty have no signature authority and cannot bind the University to any contract, but we can help you get agreements for non-disclosure, material transfer, inter-institutional, and more.