Protect Ideas and Inventions

Inventions made within an existing employment relationship must be reported to the employing company. The right timing for reporting an invention can be crucial for the development of a technology, as this is the only way to harmonize patent and project timelines.

Report Your Invention on Time

We recommend contacting us and utilizing our individual invention consultation with our Innovation Managers before the legally required disclosure. In an initial discussion, we will jointly explore patenting and commercialization opportunities, address the formal requirements of the invention disclosure, and highlight potential risks and avoidable mistakes.

Invention Disclosure

In cases where a consultation has already taken place or is not desired, an official invention disclosure can be submitted online. Using a secure form, employees and students of RWTH can directly report their invention online here. The recording and processing of invention disclosures is managed by the IP Management of RWTH Aachen (Dept. 4.1 - Research Profile and IP Management). For any questions regarding the invention, employee inventor compensation, and all other related administrative processes, the IP Management is always available. Employees of the University Hospital RWTH Aachen can find the invention disclosure form in the hospital's intranet here.

Department 4.1 - Research Profile and IP Management

The IP Management of RWTH Aachen supports inventors in the patenting process, oversees employee invention processes, and acts as a competent interface between the university and patent offices, patent attorneys, and other partners involved in the patenting, development, or commercialization of RWTH Aachen's inventions and patents.

The tasks of IP Management include:

  • Receiving employee inventions
  • Recording invention disclosures
  • Forwarding for evaluation to RWTH Innovation
  • Engaging patent attorneys for patenting processes
  • Engaging commercialization partners (RWTH Innovation) for commercialization activities
  • Managing administrative processes for inventions, patents, and inventor compensation
     
Dipl. Kfm.
Yuriy Shkonda
RWTH | Abteilung 4.1 - Forschungsprofil und IP-Management