It is not always straightforward to judge whether an invention is patentable, therefore scientists should contact us as early as possible by filing an Invention Disclosure Form (download) and forwarding it to the Business Development Unit (BD).

The BD will give a first evaluation on the patentability of the invention in terms of contents, prior art and potential market, then the Intellectual Property Committee will whether to proceed with the filing of the patent. Members of the Intellectual Property Committee comprises the Research and Operating Direction, BD members and internal experts.

Remember:

• Any written or oral "prior disclosure" outside IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele prevents you from patenting in Europe.  Before disclosing any new aspects of your work:
  • Think about its industrial applicability;
  • Contact us if you think it potentially has commercial interest.
• A patent application can be filed very quickly when necessary, and can significantly enhance the chances that a technology will be developed and generate further research funds for your laboratory.
• It is hardly ever necessary to delay a publication/talk/research poster in order to protect the technology it describes with a patent.
• If an inadvertent disclosure is made by the legitimate inventor, patent protection in the US is still possible if filing is made within 12 months (grace period).