1. Welcome to the World of IPR
What’s it all about ?
Today we’re going to take a broad brush view of IPR,as CMR sees it. Apologies for those who’ve heard it all before, - just sit back, relax and think of earning money !

2. The basic stuff ! What is it ? Where is it ? What’s so good about it ?
How do we get it ?
The way I see it, there are four key questions.

3. What is it ? PROTECTED TECHNOLOGY with a COMMERCIAL VALUE
We are only interested in IPR which has the potential to make significant money for the inventor and CMR members. It’s very easy to find technology which is of academic interest only, interesting to work on, but no change of making money. Avoid it like the plague.

4. Where is it ? Owners Agents & other sources Companies of all sizes
Academia
Inventors
Agents & other sources
Patent agents
Accountants
Technical and business press
How do we find it ? - in companies, academia, inventors, - either directly or via their agents.
Academia used to be a good source of projects, but less so in recent years because of their internal resources. They can be approached via the business development,IPR., industrial liaison officers.
Large companies sometimes have patented ideas/products which they do not wish to exploit.Approach via their business development, intellectual property department, marketing.
Inventors always have ideas, -a lot of which either don’t work, don’t address an existing market, or are not properly protected. A good way to get to inventors is via patent agents and accountants.

5. Why is it attractive to the inventor/owner ?
Generates a royalty from an invention by adding skills and resources.
Investment
Design
Manufacturing
Sales & marketing
Because it increases the chances of making money from the invention by adding adds skills which he doesn’t have. Because he doesn’t have the necessary skills he is unlikely to get funded. A few years ago CMR went through a phase where almost all IPR project actually came to us as unsuccessful investment requests.

6. Why is it attractive to the new owner/licensee ?
Introduces new ideas into companies increasingly focused on short term issues.
Makes better use of their existing resources – particularly marketing.
Because he can use an existing framework to promote another product.

7. Why is it attractive to CMR members
Because it can earn us money !
Established in house procedures.
Plenty of help available, - teamwork !
Quote slide and move on to next slide (Example)

8. Example
Each £1m of licensed products at 5% royalty generates £50k licensing revenue.
CMR receives one third (£16.7k), of which
Introducer gets 10% (£1.7k)
Regional Director gets 5%
CMR Centre gets 15%
Project team get 70% ( £11.7k )
FOR THE LIFE OF THE AGREEMENT
Stress the £!m sales is low. Shortest IPR contract in the past 10 years has been is 10 years. Longest had no time limit !

9. The bottom line Companies are seeking new business opportunities
Inventors are seeking companies to commercialise their ideas
Companies frequently use search agencies
CMR is focused on the inventors
Stress different roles of search companies and CMR. Search companies are retained (for a fee) by larger companies to seek new ideas to add to their product range, - ie something to license. Logically there should be synergy between them and CMR and we had a loose relationship with a company in Berkhamstead whichproved unsuccessful.

10. The changing market
Licensees require reduced risk, - leading to less interest in longer term, higher investment, opportunities.
Increased interest in shorter term opportunities with weaker IP protection
Difficult to obtain up front payments

11. Protecting the property
Patents
Copyright
Design Right
A few years ago the only means of protection seriously considered was a professionally written patent application, for which a prior art search had been carried out.
However, a changing market towards shorter term projects has resulted in copyright and design right being considered.
A patent

12. Patent process New, inventive, industrially applicable
Search for prior patents
Informal application
Formal application (one year later)
Examination (about 2 ½ years from informal application date).
Grant (about 3 ½ years from informal application date)
British patent costs about £3,300 over 4 years
Within one year of the initial application, claims must be added to the application to legally define the invention. If further developments have been made, a new application may be made which claims the date of the informal . At this time the inventor must be identified, the Patent Office search requested and foreign applications, if any, made.
Three months after formal application. After some three months the British Patent Office issues a search report and publishes the application including its specification, in printed form, another three months later
Within six months of publication of the application , an examination fee must be paid to the Patent Office. After another six months, a report raising objections is likely to be received. These are scarcely ever insuperable, but may mean that that the application will have to be amended. .

13. Copyright
Literary, dramatic, musical, artistic works, technical drawings, diagrams, broadcasts etc
Written work including software, databases and websites
Created automatically
Keep evidence of originality in a safe place

14. Registered Design
Protects the overall visual 3D appearance of a product in the registered area.
2D images covered by copyright.
Not concerned with what an item is made from or how it works.

15. Key things for CMR members to consider
We select our customers !
It can take a long time to receiving money, BUT this can go on for years after it does start.
Effort normally required over the long term
High risk, but potential high rewards
The problem of case studies.

16. The three vital questions before taking on a project
Does it work ?
Is it protected ?
Is there a market – in our view ?

17. Something to avoid
We are not patent experts and do not give an opinion on the strength of a patent.
This is the job of the patent agent (on the basis of searches), and the patent examiner (on the basis of the application)
Projects without an initial search for prior art should be avoided. They usually fail !

18. CMR experience – some you win and some you lose !
Microcentrifuge
Ironing machine
Garden tool
Cargo
Bioturbines
Wind speed accelerator
Disposable Toilet cleaner
Cleanswipe
Successful: Microcentrifuge, Ironing machine, garden tool.
Not successful: Bioturbines, Disposable toilet cleaner, cleanswipe
Ongoing: Cargo, Wind speed accelerator,

19. A company can benefit from licensing in two ways
Licensing out technology which can’t be commercialised using existing in house resources
Licensing in technology which fits an existing marketing structure
Both aspects require a consultant with significant market knowledge. Do we have it ? Experience of members leaving half way through projects has dictated a very cautious approach.

20. IPR
INTERESTING AND GOOD FUN

21. IPR
INTERESTING AND GOOD FUN
POTENTIAL TO BE VERY LUCRATIVE !

22. IPR INTERESTING AND GOOD FUN POTENTIAL TO BE VERY LUCRATIVE
FEET ON THE GROUND !!!