UPLB TTBDO, patent experts hold webinar on int'l patent and tech transfer

The Technology Transfer: Pursuing Global Opportunities webinar held on 03 December 2020 featured Dr. Adrian Bradley from Cleveland Scott York and Alec Griffiths from Patent Seekers.

Dr. Bradley introduced the philosophical viewpoint of technology transfer, and then centered on discussing the patent application processes under the Paris Convention 1883 and the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

He also discussed common application mistakes by technology transfer offices, the importance of producing quality applications, the modes of commercialization, investors’ expectations on various intellectual property (IP), and foreign universities’ experiences on technology transfer.

According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), intellectual property is any work of the human mind that may be categorized into copyrights, trademarks, industrial designs, geographical indications, trade secrets, and patents. WIPO is a United Nations (UN) self-funding agency that provides a global forum for IP services, policy, information, and cooperation.

In his talk, Dr. Bradley emphasized the ease of filing applications to the PCT system, having only a single application and providing inventors a longer period of time for identifying the countries they want to include in the protection of their invention.

“This is hugely advantageous particularly to universities and research institutes because you will need this amount of time to generate the proof of concept and studies, and to validate your invention in the marketplace,” he said.

Dr. Bradley also reminded participants to take patent writing seriously because investors, licensees, and competitors will thoroughly examine applications according to international standards. Well-drafted patents also increase the technology's viability to be adopted into various industries. “Good technology with a good patent is a good licensing opportunity or a good transfer opportunity,” said the patent attorney.

He added that engaging in technology transfer is mutually beneficial, as creativity is “lacking in commercial enterprises” while the potential revenue streams can help participating universities or research institutions. “It’s obviously a great story to tell that a university technology has successfully made it into the marketplace, and this is massively engaging to students,” he said.

Dr. Adrian Bradley is a patent attorney focusing on the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industry, and a partner at Cleveland Scott York.

Griffiths also insightfully shared that patent research is a useful and crucial tool in every stage of technology transfer, from increasing the strength of patent applications to identifying the risks that may be encountered by inventors.

“All these benefits help you defend more successfully against competitors. They’re going to make your propositions far more lucrative to potential investors and licensees. They’re going to help you determine the potential of the commercialization of your patent application,” Griffiths told the webinar participants.

Alec Griffiths is a patent searcher and technology expert, working as an IP manager for Patent Seekers. He develops patent research strategies for companies, universities, and investors.

TTBDO, formerly known as the Center for Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship, is one of the crucial RDE centers of UPLB that launches programs, policies, and activities to protect and promote university technologies, as well as transfer them to both private and public sectors.

Cleveland Scott York is an intellectual property firm based in Europe that provides expert advice on IP protection to start-ups and multinational companies.

Patent Seekers is an IP research company based in the United Kingdom that provides quality search and analysis for patents, designs, trademarks, and journals in the fields of technology, physics, engineering, biological sciences, and chemistry.