What is a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA)?
When university faculty want to share patented or unpatented tangible properties with their colleagues at non-profit institutions for research purposes, the materials should be transferred under a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA). MTAs are binding legal agreements between the provider of research material and the recipient, which set forth the conditions of transfer and use, protect proprietary interest in the material, and restrict distribution. Most importantly, the MTA requires the recipient to indemnify the provider from any liability arising from the use of the material. Executing an MTA also helps to preserve the faculty and University’s intellectual property rights while recording the transfer of the invention to another party. CLICK HERE to get more information at the MTA section of this website.
