Intellectual Property Disclosure

Prompt disclosure of intellectual property is necessary for effective protection and transfer of the technology. Disclosure is essential to protect potential patent rights and is a firm requirement of U.S. federal law when any federal money has been used to support the research. Disclosure is made using an Invention Disclosure Form.

Inventors must use an Invention Disclosure Form to provide necessary information, such as the source of funding, date of impending or issued publications, identity of all inventors, existence of records describing the invention, etc. If difficulty in obtaining this information is encountered or time pressures interfere, the Georgia Southern University Research and Service Foundation (GSURSF) and the Office of Legal Affairs can assist in the process.

The GSURSF has the responsibility to inform the sponsors of the occurrence of inventions under a research contract and to protect potential patent rights.

Inventors should also indicate any special information or desires at the time of disclosure. For instance, collaborations with non-Georgia Southern University colleagues or interest expressed by industrial scientists should be reported.

It may also be possible for inventors with an entrepreneurial spirit to commercialize their own technologies. However, an Invention Disclosure Form must be filled out in all cases where an invention is identified, and any interest in self-promotion of the invention should be brought to the attention of the GSURSF.

NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN A DISCLOSURE FORM IS CONFIDENTIAL. COPIES OF THE DISCLOSURE FORM SHOULD NOT BE SENT TO ANYONE (OTHER THAN THE DEPARTMENT HEAD, IF REQUESTED), NOT EVEN TO SPONSORS OF THE RESEARCH.

Download the Invention Disclosure Form

Last updated: 4/27/2021