What is a Materials Transfer Agreement (or MTA)?
MTA’s specify, among other things, use restrictions and intellectual property provisions on chemical and biological materials moving in and out of the University. For instance, if you give your unique antibody to another entity without an MTA restricting use to research only and requiring a license for any commercial use, and the entity subsequently incorporates your antibody as an important piece of a commercially successful product, you have no recourse. Conversely, if you accept or buy materials from another entity along with a restrictive MTA, you may find that any invention you come up with using the material either belongs to that entity or that entity has an exclusive license to it, as a term of the MTA.
