Page 36 - Mass General Brigham - Innovators Guide 1.1

36 INNO V AT O RS GUIDE | M ASS GENERAL BRIGH AM

4
Disclosing

4 an invention

Public disclosure | Publications Inventor role | Post disclosure

Public disclosure of an invention may limit, or even forfeit, the right to As noted earlier, the inventor is central to any commercialization.
obtain a patent. A public disclosure is any non-confidential communication As the technology advances, the inventor should plan on devoting
of the invention to members of the public. Some common examples time for interactions with licensing staff, patent counsel and industry
include journal or book publications, published meeting abstracts, representatives. The inventor should plan to:
interviews, posters and oral presentations, dissertations and theses, and • Make themselves available to the Licensing Manager and IP staff for
online publications including laboratory webpages or social media.
follow-up information as required;
Common situations which may not be considered public disclosures • Execute and return documents required for completion of the patent
include internal presentations (such as at department meetings) that are application filings in a timely fashion;
not open to members of the public or individuals from other institutions are
not considered public disclosures. Grant proposals are often confidential • Provide perspectives on commercial application of the technologies.
and may not initially be a public disclosure until the granting organization
publishes elements of the proposal such as the abstract or progress report Timing
publications. Discussions with external parties under a confidentiality
agreement are also protected and not considered public disclosures. Following the submission of a completed Invention Disclosure Form,

It can sometimes be difficult to know if a disclosure is considered a public Invention Record numbers and Licensing Managers are assigned within 24
disclosure, and the Innovation office is available to help address questions hours of receipt. Times to assess the disclosure scope and applicability
if there is any doubt. Notifying the assigned Licensing Manager in advance will, of course, vary. The Licensing Manager can provide guidance and
of any potential public disclosure is recommended to assure protection. information regarding timelines.

Including all inventors

All contributors to the invention should be listed in the Invention Disclosure,
including affiliated labs involved. With respect to inventorship, Innovation
teams will work with inventors to determine who should be listed in the
patent application to meet legal requirements.