Patenting and publication are not mutually exclusive, and UniQuest recognises the importance of peer-reviewed publications for research dissemination.

With UniQuest’s help, patent rights, where appropriate, can be established to allow peer-reviewed publications to be pursued without compromising the IP’s potential commercial value.

Because patent protection hinges on an invention being new and undisclosed, it is vital that a provisional patent application is filed before details of the invention are published or discussed outside the research group, e.g. at a conference.

To avoid compromising the ability to protect an invention, a decision regarding publication should be made early in the life of the research – meeting regularly with your MICD is a good idea.

Research institutions generally have a responsibility to the community to pursue, where possible, the potential to commercialise research outcomes. Patenting of research outcomes is a way of positioning research so as to take advantage of commercial possibilities while still publishing the results.