Technology Commercialization
The "Warp Processor” computer chip can optimize its performance and energy use. It was developed at UCR by Computer Science and Engineering professor Frank Vahid. That’s just one example of the commercialization of UCR research helping the community and the world.
Sharing our Discoveries With the World
Taking a discovery from the lab and getting it to a place where it can help people requires a lot of work. UC Riverside maintains an active patenting and patent licensing program through the Office of Research’s Technology Commercialization program, ensuring that the results of our research are made available for the public’s use and benefit.
UCR has had many remarkable research success . Our inventions have run the gamut from research in plant varieties, plant genomics, biomedical sciences, materials science and engineering.
The UC system has used patents and licensing for more than 40 years to promote the development of research while also preventing that emerging research from straying outside the inventor’s control.
What is a Patent?
A patent or license provides the originator with 20 years of exclusive use of an invention. That means potential competitors cannot copy the innovation and develop competing products. At the same time, the inventor can begin promoting the use of the product without worrying about losing control over it.
The Process
Transitioning a product or technology from the lab to the marketplace involves several steps, all of which are designed to protect the rights of the person or persons whose breakthroughs will be in great demand. These steps include:
- Publication – Proper publication and disclosure of an invention is crucial to ensuring patent rights to the invention, both domestically and abroad.
- Reporting – University policy calls for disclosure of all inventions for which a patent could conceivably be necessary.
- Evaluations – The University will help an inventor determine whether an invention is likely patentable, what its commercial potential may be and how much it likely will cost to protect the invention with patents in the U.S. and abroad.
- Patent applications – The University Licensing Office coordinates the process of seeking a patent. The inventor works closely with a patent attorney to complete the process and answer questions from a U.S. patent examiner.
The process can take two years, but it is the safest way to protect an invention for the benefit of the inventor and the university.