Inventor’s Guide
Invention Disclosure FAQ’s
FAQ’s
An Invention Disclosure is a form we use to create a record of the invention, the inventor(s) involved, related sponsorship of the work, and any public disclosures and publications.
- Submit your invention disclosure well in advance of any publications; and
- Submit your invention disclosure when you have conceived the idea of the invention and have either proven the concept, or determined how it can be accomplished (preliminary data indicating utility and/or an actual reduction to practice is most helpful, but the disclosure need not wait for the data in some situations).
The Faculty Manual requires that all potentially patentable inventions conceived or reduced to practice in whole or in part by members of the faculty or staff (including student employees) of the University in the course of their University responsibilities or with more than incidental use of University resources be disclosed on a timely basis to the University. Ownership in such inventions is assigned to the University, regardless of the source of funding, if any. If you have any questions please contact us.
WSU copyright policy states that if significant University resources are used or if a work is created within the scope of your employment, then the University has ownership rights to the created work. More information on the WSU copyright policies can be found in Subsection H of Section IV of the WSU Faculty manual
Disclosing your invention to us is an important part of protecting the rights to your discovery. One of the most important benefits may be the commercialization of your technology through our efforts in patent and licensing of the discovery. Other benefits through our marketing efforts include new contacts with industry or industry-sponsored research in your laboratory.
WSU’s ownership of your invention may be contingent upon the specifics of your employment status and what University resources you used in its creation and development. To determine ownership, our office will need to do some fact gathering and analysis. It is important that you discuss the situation with us as soon as you think you may have an invention. Not only will the office help to clarify the situation, its involvement may lead to the process of protecting and commercializing your invention and starting you, your department, and WSU on the road to personal and institutional financial rewards.
The University does not claim ownership of such inventions. However, any developments or improvements of these inventions that your make while at WSU may be owned by the University and should be disclosed to us.