Patents

The Office or Technology & Industry Alliances manages patents at UCSB. A patent is a right granted by a government that allows the owner of the patent to exclude others from making, using or selling an invention for roughly 20 years. To be patentable, an invention must be novel, useful and non-obvious. (For a discussion of these elements, please review the USPTO’s General Information Concerning Patents).

A publication only affects patent rights if it is considered an “enabling” publication. An enabling publication describes a patent in sufficient detail that a person skilled in the appropriate discipline can reproduce the invention based upon review of the publication. Once an invention is the subject of an enabling publication, the vast majority of foreign rights are lost, and the inventor has only one year from the date of the publication to file a patent application to preserve rights within the United States and its territories.

In return for offering a period of exclusivity, the federal government requires the patent owner to disclose the details of the invention so that others may seek improvements or new uses. Thus, the inventor gains from this period of exclusive control of the invention and society gains through the further advancements that may be made on the technology.

Patents at the University of California

Patents developed by UCSB employees during the course of their employment or developed through the use of UCSB’s facilities or resources (with certain exceptions) are owned by The Regents of the University of California.

When a patent generates net income, the UCSB inventors receive a share of that income per the UC patent policy.

The mission of the Office of Research technology transfer program is to link inventions made during campus research with companies that may be interested in developing products that use them. The development of commercial products helps assure that our research results are put into use for the public benefit.

If a UCSB researcher wishes to disclose an invention that he or she feels may have potential for commercial development, the researcher should complete an invention disclosure form (hotlink this phrase to the form itself) and submit it to the Director, Office of Technology & Industry Alliances, in the Office of Research.

More Information about Patents

• Patents 101 by the UCOP Office of Technology Transfer
  
• General Information Concerning Patents by the US Patent and Trademark Office
  
• The Bayh-Dole Act: A Guide to the Law and Impementing Regulations by the Council on Governmental Relations
  

Searching for Issued Patents or Published Patent Applications

There are several databases available to search for issued patents or published patent applications. These databases are valuable tools to determine if your invention is potentially novel.

Click here for Issued U.S. Patents or Published U.S. Patent Applications

Click here for Issued Foreign Patents/Applications

Select UC Policies Related to Patents

• University of California Patent Policy
• Guidance to Faculty and other Academic Employees on Issues Related to Intellectual Poperty and Consulting
• Guidelines on University-Industry Relations
• Principles Regarding Rights to Future Research Results in University Agreements with External Parties
• UC Policy on the Acceptance of Equity in Licenses
• Faculty Consulting-Guidelines on Intellectual Property

Patent Forms

• Invention Disclosure Form
• UC Patent Acknowledgement
  

Patent Contacts:

Sherylle Mills Englander
Director

Office of Technology & Industry Alliances
englander@tia.ucsb.edu
805-893-5180

Adam Jones
Associate Director, Licensing & Business Development
Office of Technology & Industry Alliances
jones@tia.ucsb.edu
805-893-5209

Bernadette McCafferty

Senior Licensing Officer

Office of Technology & Industry Alliances

mccafferty@tia.ucsb.edu

805-893-5150

Oren Livne
Solid State Patents & Licensing
Office of Technology & Industry Alliances
livne@tia.ucsb.edu
805-893-5138