What This Does
When research results include inventions, software, databases, know-how, copyrighted works, trademarks, or licensing potential, organize the initial information for consulting the IP staff. This is not a skill for judging patentability or ownership; it is for assembling the materials that should be checked before public disclosure.
- Target Users: URA, industry-academia collaboration staff, PIs, research support staff, students and early-career researchers
- Problem to Solve: IP checks are missed before manuscript submission, conference presentations, or press releases
- Expected Effects: Reduce delays in invention disclosures, overlooked joint filing issues, and loss of patenting opportunities due to public disclosure
Required Inputs
- Summary of Results: What was invented, created, or discovered, and the differences from prior work
- Planned Disclosure: Dates for manuscript submission, conference presentation, preprint, press release, GitHub release, data release
- Stakeholders: Inventor candidates, co-authors, collaborators, students, companies, overseas institutions
- Funding and Contracts: Research funds, joint research agreements, commissioned research, NDAs, data provision agreements
- Materials(Optional): Manuscript drafts, slides, figures, code, data, draft contracts, past invention disclosures
What It Produces
- IP Consultation Memo: Summary of results, novelty candidates, planned disclosure, stakeholders, funding and contracts
- Pre-Disclosure Checklist: Confirmation of whether manuscripts, conferences, press releases, software, and data can be disclosed
- Joint Filing and Rights Relationship Issues Table: Relationships with companies, joint institutions, students, and external funding
- Consultation Email to IP Staff: Request text with materials and confirmation items attached
- Next Action Table: Invention disclosure, additional materials, consultation on postponing disclosure, etc.
Procedure
1. Confirm the planned disclosure first
In IP checks, the disclosure date is the most important constraint.
公開予定:
- 論文投稿:
- 学会発表:
- プレプリント:
- プレスリリース:
- GitHub / データ公開:
- その他公開:
If the planned disclosure is near, raise the urgency and consult the IP staff.
2. Classify the types of results
| Type | Example | Where to Check |
|---|---|---|
| Invention | Devices, methods, materials, algorithms, uses | IP staff |
| Software | Research code, web tools, packages | IP and information infrastructure |
| Database | Curated data, annotation data, benchmarks | IP and RDM |
| Know-how | Experimental conditions, manufacturing conditions, operational procedures | IP and contracts |
| Copyrighted work | Figures and tables, teaching materials, text, images | IP and public relations |
3. Create an IP consultation memo
## 知財相談メモ
- 成果名:
- 成果概要:
- 従来との差分:
- 想定用途:
- 関係者:
- 関連資金:
- 共同研究・契約:
- 公開予定:
- 添付資料:
- 確認したい事項:
4. Confirm with stakeholders and contracts
| 関係者/機関 | 関与内容 | 契約・資金 | 権利関係の未決事項 | 確認先 |
|-------------|----------|------------|----------------------|--------|
If students, companies, joint institutions, or overseas institutions are involved, follow the procedures of the affiliated institution.
5. Consult the intellectual property officer
件名: [知財相談] {成果名} の公開前確認について
下記成果について、論文/発表/公開前に知財上の確認をお願いいたします。
公開予定:
- {日付・公開種別}
成果概要:
- {概要}
関係者・契約:
- {関係者}
確認したい事項:
- 発明届の要否
- 公開前に止めるべき事項
- 共同機関・企業との確認事項
Judgment criteria
| Judgment item | Points to check | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Publication timing | When will it be published | Confirm intellectual property before publication |
| Possibility of invention | Are there technical features, uses, or methods | Consult on whether an invention report is necessary |
| Joint relationship | Are companies, joint institutions, or students involved | Confirm contracts and rights relationships |
| Funding | Are there rules for handling results from external funding | Confirm research funding rules |
| Software and data | Are there licenses or publication conditions | Coordinate with RDM and information infrastructure |
Common mistakes and countermeasures
| Mistake | Countermeasure |
|---|---|
| Consulting on intellectual property for the first time after paper acceptance | Consult before submission or presentation |
| Equating inventors with co-authors | Consult the intellectual property officer about inventor candidates |
| Treating GitHub publication lightly | Include software publication in pre-publication confirmation |
| Not reviewing contracts for joint research with companies | collaboration-contract-intake Coordinate with |
Quality standards
- Publication plans, result summaries, stakeholders, contracts, and funding are organized
- The RA does not make definitive judgments on patentability or rights attribution
- Materials for the intellectual property officer to use in judgment at the first consultation are available
- Connections with public relations, paper submission, and data publication are clearly stated
Available Tools
- Read: Reading paper drafts, presentation materials, contract drafts, research plans, and results ledgers
- Write: Creating intellectual property consultation memos, checklists, and consultation emails
- WebSearch / WebFetch: Confirming publication plans, DOI, and prior publication information
- Bash: Formatting deadline tables, stakeholder tables, and material lists