Protect Your IP
Amet nisl purus in mollis nunc sed. Aenean euismod elementum nisi quis eleifend quam adipiscing vitae proin.
Whether your works are patented, unpatented, copyrighted or not copyrighted, trademarks are one way for CU to protect the names of products or services developed by its researchers. Please expand the sections below to learn more about protecting and licensing trademarks or contact taraldressler@cu.edu (303-860-5683) for assistance.
A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention. This right is granted by government authority to an inventor. Most patents are valid for 20 years in the U.S. from the date the application was filed with the USPTO. In essence, a patent is a legal right to an invention given to a person or entity without interference from others who wish to replicate, use, or sell it.
Patents are a key way for CU to protect inventions made by its researchers. The university, as owner of inventions made by its faculty, students, and staff, can grant licenses for these patents to companies that possess the expertise to transform the invention into marketable products or services (see CU's patent policies).
In the United States, patentability is determined by novelty, utility, and non-obviousness.
- Novelty: An invention is "novel" if nothing identical previously existed. How does your invention differ from what already exists?
- Utility: An invention is useful if it produces an effect, if the effect is the one claimed, and if the effect is desirable to society, at least in principle. Who might find your invention useful, and why?
- Non-obviousness: Non-obviousness measures the degree to which an invention differs from the totality of previous knowledge, and the degree to which an invention could not have been anticipated from that knowledge.
Copyright is a form of protection provided by U.S. law to authors of original works of authorship. These works must be fixed in a tangible medium of expression, such as being written down or recorded. The purpose of copyright is to grant authors exclusive rights to their creations, preventing others from copying or using them without permission.
Copyrights safeguard original works produced by CU faculty. Depending on the work’s nature, ownership of the copyright may rest either with the faculty member(s) who created the work (for creative works, textbooks, teaching materials, and scholarly works) or with CU (for commercial works, such as software developed using CU resources).
To begin this process, download the Copyright Submission Form. Return the form to CU Innovations1890 N Revere Ct, Aurora, CO 80045, or email the completed form to your CU Innovations case manager or cuinnovations@cuanschutz.edu.
Trademark: A trademark is an easily recognizable symbol, phrase, or word that denotes a specific product or service. A trademark distinguishes a product or service from all others of its kind. It helps consumers recognize your brand in the marketplace and sets it apart from competitors.
A trademark can be any of the following:
- Word: A specific word or phrase
- Symbol: A recognizable design or graphical representation
- Combination: A mix of words, symbols, or both