1. What should I do if I have an idea?
If you are an academic or other employee of a Swedish university, you own
the right to your inventions. This means you can sell them to anyone or any
organisation you wish. One of the organisations to which you can sell your
invention is the Lund University Technology Group.
2. I have som interesting scientific findings,
but I don't know if they are of any commercial value.
If you have discovered new important knowledge, you can discuss it with
the Lund University Technology Group in order to find out if it is possible
to protect it with a patent and, if so, how.
3. How much does it cost to make use of the
services of the Lund University Technology Group?
The principal owners of the Lund University Technology Group are Lund University
and the Foundation for Technology Transfer in Lund. The Lund University
Technology Group has a certain degree of financing to cover its costs for
a limited period.
Advice to scientists is thus completely free, and includes for example,
simple patent evaluations, advice concerning agreements, etc. If the invention
is
of interest, the goal of the Lund University Technology Group is, of course,
to exploit the idea on behalf of the inventor.
4. What do I get out of it as the inventor?
In many agreements, it is stated that the inventor will receive payment
once the investor has been reimbursed for his costs. The Lund University
Technology Group is more generous, and pays at least 25% of all incoming
royalties to the inventor. Once the costs of the Lund University Technology
Group have been covered, the inventor receives half of all revenue.
5. How does the process work?
The Lund University Technology Group has a generous policy regarding
advice and dealing with ideas at the initial stages of evaluation
and patenting. In practical terms, this means that we take on many more
inventions than
are likely to be commercially successful. The fact that the
Lund University Technology Group agrees to patent and exploit your idea
is thus no guarantee
that it will become commercially successful.
6. How does the Lund University Technology Group
exploit inventions?
In the first instance, the Lund University Technology Group attempts
to exploit the idea by negotiating cooperation agreements with Swedish companies
combined with simple/single/shared/partnership? or exclusive rights for the
company to exploit the invention. If we can find no suitable Swedish companies,
we will contact international companies that are experts in the field. We
will try to draw up an agreement in which the inventor has a long-term relationship
with the exploiting company. Such a relationship can lead to new knowledge
and interesting problems for the scientist or inventor concerned.
7. Isn’t the Lund University Technology
Group paying out more than it receives?
Yes, and no. We do not have the same demands on short-term profit
as a normal company. Our work must be seen in the wider, national perspective.
What’s good for Sweden is not necessarily best for us. In our assessment
of what is best for the inventor and for Sweden, we can thus apply other criteria
than normal companies.
8. Is the Lund University Technology Group something
new?
No, University Technology Groups have existed in various forms at
American universities since the 1970s. There is thus plenty of reliable experience
in this kind of venture, and the results are clear. A small proportion of
the inventions brings in most of the revenue. Most inventions lead to small
returns or none at all. We are prepared for this.
9. Everyone is talking about academic exemption
(lärarundantaget), what is it?
This term is introduced in the 1949 act on the right to the inventions
of employees. In general, the employer owns the inventions of an employee.
In the case of college and university employees, however, an exemption is
made, and the employee has the right of ownership. This gives such employees
the right to sell, exchange or give away their results to anyone they wish.
Some believe that this exemption should be rescinded, but it is likely to
remain for many years yet.
10. Will I become rich from my invention?
The royalty on an invention is normally from a few tenths of a percent
to about ten percent. This means that in order to give an income of millions,
sales of an invention or service must be in the range of 10 – 1000
million kronor which, in most cases is rather high. However, it is not unusual
for pharmaceuticals or diagnostic methods, for example, to reach such values,
so you may be the next millionaire.
11. What should I do now?
If you have some interesting research findings, contact the Lund
University Technology Group. We will give you generous advice about what
we believe you should do with your results. We can also help you to find
other ideas that can be patented within the framework of your results.