King’s College London is one of the top universities in the world and has a global reputation for research excellence. The Business Department manages the commercial aspects of the intellectual property generated by the various research departments, including using patent applications to secure investment for the College.

The issue

Universities may hold back from developing an invention if they are not sure they can obtain strong patent protection for it. With limited funds available, they are not able to consult patent attorneys for every new development they are involved in.

Our objective was to help the Business Department develop a culture of greater IP awareness, so that they were better equipped to spot patentable inventions and help them to develop a cost-effective invention management process.

The solution

We worked with King’s to develop ‘Invention Disclosure’ forms which would give them sufficient information at the early stages of a project to decide on its commercial viability.

We also set up regular IP surgeries at which our attorneys could review three or four inventions at a time, comment on their value and discuss the relevant patent issues. This enabled us to maximise the value of each visit, while keeping consulting costs to a minimum.

We provided regular free review meetings at which we briefed the business managers on the patent status of ongoing projects, as well as providing an update on any recent legal developments that were relevant.

In addition, the College was invited to attend training programmes which we run and were aimed at assisting universities in identifying potential inventions.

The outcome

Through our ongoing work with King’s College London, we have helped them implement working strategies to maximise commercial gain from the inventions, while keeping costs to a minimum.