Who prepares and prosecutes patent applications?
If the University elects to retain title to your invention and proceed by filing a patent application to protect the intellectual property within the inventions (see #9 below), one of the University’s contract law firms will work closely with you to prepare a patent application. Generally, a patent application will be filed at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as a provisional application. The provisional application is not examined by the PTO but filing the application is important because it establishes a priority date for your invention against any similar applications. You should work closely with the contract atthorney to make sure you fully disclose and describe all aspects of your invention and its uses in order to establish a strong foundation for patent protection.
