Patents (Internal)

“The right to obtain a patent” of inventions produced by Kyoto University faculty are, in general, belongs to Kyoto University. If faculty produces an invention or design it should be filed or if a collaborative research partner company or other entity inquires about filing for a patent, then the faculty shall complete the Invention Proposal Form and send it to the following e-mail address. The Invention Proposal Form should be password-protected before sending.

Send To: ip-regist*saci.kyoto-u.ac.jp (Send any questions about the Invention Proposal Form to this address as well.) Replace the asterisk with an “@” symbol.

Please keep in mind

1. Submit the form by completing and attaching it in Word format to the e-mail.
2. Only “The right to obtain a patent” owned by inventors within the university are transferred to the university. If an inventor from outside the university, such as in a company, is involved, then patent applications can be filed jointly.
3. If postdoctoral researchers, students, or researchers from another organization agree to Kyoto University policies and other requirements and transfer of their “The rights to obtain a patent” to Kyoto University, then they can be treated in the same manner as inventors within the university.
4. Inventions can be reported at the idea stage, but filing for a patent requires specific data (preferably, data should be specific enough to present at an academic conference).

Precautions

Invention Proposal Forms should be submitted at least 3 to 4 months prior to the desired patent filing date. After submitting an Invention Proposal Form, it typically requires 2 to 4 weeks before transfer is decided. Furthermore, it requires a minimum of about 1 month after the transfer is decided before the patent application is filed, though it depends on the invention, data completeness level, and other factors.

★ If a filing deadline is involved, such as due to a scheduled presentation, be sure to indicate the deadline when the Invention Proposal Form is submitted.

★ The deadline is especially important for inventions subject to Article 30, paragraph 1, of the Japanese Patent Act. It requires that the application should be filed within 6 months of either the proceedings publication date (date indicated in the proceedings publication information) or the invention is disclosed at a research workshop, whichever occurs first. (Not within 6 months of submitting the Invention Proposal Form.) In addition to the above, due to the diverse means available for disclosing inventions in recent years, such as via websites or DVDs, indicate the earliest date.