As a condition of employment, the university has an interest and a right of ownership of all inventions and some copyrightable materials conceived within these activities. A. University Responsibilities UMAB, through the Office of Research and Development, is responsible for determining whether to engage in pursuing the patenting, copyrighting, and commercialization of any of their respective products. Under the University of Maryland policies, the decision to do so, or not, should be made in a timely manner. If OTD decides against pursuing a patent or copyright, its interest in the invention or product may be transferred to the inventor, author, or funding agency. The Invention Disclosure Form is a document in which the inventor or author describes his or her work and answers questions which will help OTD with its decision of whether an invention or product is likely to be protectable and marketable.
Action is taken on the decision.
Agreements are formalized. Revenues, if any, are collected and dispersed. When UMAB owns a copyright, the University of Maryland Copyright Policy states that revenues are to be shared by OTD, the originator, and the originator's department. Revenues are applied first to reimburse the institution for expenses that are incurred in generating, marketing, licensing, and defending the copyright. Sometimes, grants or contracts require other provisions for the distribution of revenues.