SPINFILE FIRST. PUBLISH NEXT.
Research deserves to be shared. An invention may also need protection. The order of those two things can shape its route out of the lab.
Read the article PDF ↗Public knowledge. Exclusive rights.
A patent discloses an invention in return for a time-limited right to prevent others from commercially exploiting the protected invention in the territories where the patent applies. It is not automatic permission to sell a product.
A European patent can generally last up to 20 years from filing, subject to renewal fees. The invention must satisfy patentability requirements, including novelty. A public disclosure before filing can put that novelty at risk.
EPO: disclosure and novelty ↗Protect the sequence.
- 01
Talk early
Speak privately with your university innovation team before a paper, preprint, presentation or other public disclosure.
- 02
Assess & file
Work with the team to assess protection and arrange an appropriate filing before disclosure, if patenting is the chosen route.
- 03
Then publish
Coordinate publication with the innovation team once filing is confirmed. Filing and publishing can fit together; check exactly what the application covers.
One disclosure. Different rules.
No general grace period
Under the European Patent Convention, your own public disclosure before filing can destroy novelty. There is no general grace period for publishing your research. Narrow exceptions exist, such as certain disclosures resulting from evident abuse or qualifying exhibitions; do not plan around them.
Read the official guidance ↗What the team knows. What the company owns.
In deep tech, intellectual property can be a core company asset. Investors consider what a business owns or has rights to use, alongside the expertise of its team. Publication builds scientific visibility; protecting an invention can help create a commercial opportunity.
Meet the technology transfer office ↗The lab isn’t the finish line.
Explore real research, commercial questions and new possibilities with a multidisciplinary team.
Explore the programme & apply ↗