IPR & Patent

IPR of Academic staff

In Sweden researchers own the rights to their findings (IPR of Academic staff) – which entails both a great opportunity and a responsibility.

As an employee of Lund University there is a unique privilege – you own the rights to your research results. This is often called “The Professors Privilege” or “Teachers exemption”. With the right to your findings and inventions, you also have the right to commercialise them. This means that as a researcher at Lund University, you can start a company based on your idea.

At LU Innovation we help researchers and students to bring ideas and research results to market. You do not need to be an entrepreneur to get your research findings out on the market – we can help you build the right team for your project. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have an idea you want to develop. We will guide you through the process. 

Intellectual property

Intellectual property rights are based on laws and precedents that govern the ownership of intellectual creations. This can be copyright or industrial property rights, which includes industrial designs or patents. Much of our work is in preparing and pursuing patents.

Your plan may not include monetising your idea, but intellectual property protection can still be crucial to your research making a real difference. It can make all the difference in finding partners and other stakeholders willing to invest in developing your findings.

Academic ventures differ in several ways from private enterprises. The differences mean that innovation, and especially the initial stages of a patent application, will require careful thought.

With the right advice, you will be able to combine patents with continued success in your academic research.

Patentability

In order to make key strategic decisions, it is important to have an early grasp of patentability and what the patent landscape is like in your field of research.

We can help you with surveys of the publication databases and international patent databases to gauge, for example, the patentability of your work. The results of such a survey often provide new knowledge, adding further value to any ongoing research projects.

When things get difficult

Applying for a patent can be an expensive and time-consuming business.

We will support you throughout, help you design an IP management strategy, and put you in touch with external patent firms if necessary.

We can also help cover the costs of drawing up and registering a patent application or an intellectual property rights application. Your innovation developer at LU Innovation can tell you more.

Intellectual property rights can be an important part of a strong positioning, but it is easy to make mistakes, and there are only very limited opportunities to correct things later. It is worth contacting us early – it is our job to make sure your project has every chance of success!