Further Information
Further information on inventions and IP
Consequences of an invention disclosure
Under the Employee Inventions Act (German "Arbeitnehmererfindungsgesetz"), the employer is granted a period of four months from the date of notification to decide whether an invention is formally patentable and whether it offers adequate added value to justify the high costs of patenting. If the university decides to make a claim, it is obliged to the inventors to file a patent application in Germany and to pay remuneration if the invention is financially exploited. If the university decides against this, the invention is released.
Invention consulting
In order to decide for or against a claim, the reported invention is subjected to a novelty search by us or a service provider commissioned by us - a patent exploitation agency specializing in your field - on the basis of the information provided and the formal patenting criteria are checked. We then work together to find possible exploitation paths for the technology that offer the greatest possible added value for all parties involved. More Information here.
Invention compensation
If the invention is registered by the employer, the inventor community receives 30% of the university's exploitation income. In addition, each inventor retains the inventor's personality right, e.g. the right to be named in the patent specification, regardless of how the patent proceeds.
Further information can be found in our guidelines.