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December 2007 - Volume 7/Issue 11

FPTT News

FPTT News is a monthly e-publication of news, events, training opportunities, links and information related to technology transfer and commercialization. We encourage you to share the newsletter or items of interest with your friends and colleagues. Please send us your news, events or other items of interest.

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In this issue

Feature of the Month

FPTT Members Gain Access to Technology Transfer Tactics – FPTT Members (i.e. federal employees) now have access to Technology Transfer Tactics. Technology Transfer Tactics provides in-depth guidance designed to hasten and streamline the commercialization process, as well as maximize the financial benefits of that process for your organization. Each issue covers the real-world problems, delicate issues, and high-stakes opportunities you grapple with daily. Veteran journalists go behind the scenes to bring you detailed, actionable information and advice with a very specific and single-minded goal: To help you find, develop, license, and bring to market your organization's valuable intellectual property. Access FPTT Members' Corner.

News and Information

  • AUTM U.S. Licensing Activity Survey: FY2006 Summary Report – Featured on National Public Radio (NPR) – The latest in AUTM's superb status reports on the state of technology transfer across the U.S. is now available.  

    Highlights include:

    • $45 billion in R&D expenditures were received by U.S. academic centers
    • 697 new products introduced into the market in 2006 – 4,350 introduced from FY98 through FY06
    • 553 new startup companies launched in 2006
    • 12,672 licenses and options were managed, yielding active income (each single license represents a one-on-one relationship between a company and a university, hospital or research institution that earns income on products that benefit our communities)
    • 5,724 new spinouts from FY80 through FY06

    The Canadian Licensing Activity Survey Summary will be released in December with the FY2006 Full Report to follow. Find out more.

  • IPIC Updates:
    • Multiple Abandonments: IPIC has posted on their website (http://www.ipic.ca/english/general/patentrules.cfm) a practice update regarding patent application multiple abandonments.  

      IPIC has previously made submissions to CIPO on this issue. IPIC Council is examining options for further action given the recent court decision mentioned in the practice update.
    • Biotechnology Chapter of the MOPOP – CIPO has posted on its website, for review, Chapter 17 of the Manual of Patent Office Practice (MOPOP). Deadline for submissions is January 25, 2008.

      http://www.strategis.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/patents/mopop/mopop_dnld-e.html

      IPIC's Biotechnology Patents Committee is preparing a submission on behalf of IPIC. If you would like to make suggestions to the committee, please write to consultations@ipic.ca no later than December 17, 2007.
  • "IP landscape analysis" helps researchers focus on market opportunities – The technology transfer office at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is taking an innovative approach to educating its researchers about commercialization opportunities for their work. Instead of waiting for researchers to complete their studies and submit invention disclosures to explore the potential for commercialization, the TTO is stepping in much earlier in the process. In fact, as soon as a researcher receives a grant award, TTO staff, on a selective basis, perform an intellectual property "landscape analysis" and prepare a report about potential opportunities for patents and licensing, explains Lesley Millar, director of the institution's Office of Technology Management. Full details on the reports appear in the December issue of Technology Transfer Tactics, which is now available to FPTT Members via the FPTT Members' Corner on the FPTT website (http://www.fptt-pftt.gc.ca).
  • seA Launches Database of Science Resources in SSM – Science Enterprise Algoma (seA) is pleased to announce the release of its online database of science resources in Sault Ste. Marie. The searchable directory demonstrates that the region has valuable research and development (R&D) strengths in natural resources and life sciences. Find out more.
  • UBC Pledges Developing World Access to New Technologies – Access to relevant health, environmental and sustainability technologies for the world's poor is now significantly improved through a new University of British Columbia strategy called global access licensing. UBC is the first university in Canada to launch such a program. UBC members of the international student group Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) served as catalysts to develop the strategy. Find out more.
  • University of Toronto devises innovative hybrid TTO staffing model – Nearly every tech transfer office uses one of two basic staffing schemes: the "cradle-to-grave model" in which all development activity surrounding an invention is handled by one staffer, or the "specialist model" that employs staff with different areas of expertise to divide up the work on each invention according to their special skill sets. But a hybrid staffing model now being used by the University of Toronto's TTO is another option with some distinct advantages, according to tech transfer officials there. According to the model's developer, Cyril Gibbons, it works better than both of the more common structures because staff turnover does not completely disrupt a project, better cross-training and staff development can occur, and technologies that cross disciplines can be more fully developed. A detailed article highlighting the hybrid model appears in the November issue of Technology Transfer Tactics. For subscription information, go to: https://www.technologytransfertactics.com/subscribe.htm

Recommended Articles, Books, Papers and Reports

Articles

  • “'Supercluster' approach may speed time to market” , Technology Transfer Tactics, November 2007.

    Colorado State University (CSU), Fort Collins, CO, is seeking to meld its desire to streamline the commercialization process with its philosophic commitment to discoveries of global reach with the creation of a new structure it calls the 'supercluster.' Superclusters, explains CSU's web site, "are alliances of academic researchers, economists and business experts organized to address great global challenges, encourage collaboration and bridge the vastly different worlds of business and academia."

  • “Use process mapping to improve your TTO's performance” , Technology Transfer Tactics, November 2007.

    Decide what you want your technology transfer office to accomplish, and then redesign processes to get you there. That sounds simple, but it's a task that inertia often renders almost impossible. Process mapping, a performance improvement technique borrowed from the Japanese system of kaizen, can help you gain a detailed understanding of what's actually going on in your office so you can act with surgical precision to solve its operational problems.

  • Banfield, A. “Valuing Intellectual Property and Intangibles” , FRICS, United Kingdom.

    What do we mean by intellectual property and intangibles? Basically intellectual property or IPR is any intangible asset that consists of human knowledge and ideas, so an intangible is something that is not tangible! So looking further into this an intangible asset is therefore something of value that cannot be physically touched and examples might be franchises, patents, trademarks and brands. It can include goodwill from a business, it can be a database, it can even relate to knowledge as to what does not work. Read article.

  • Burke, P. and Reitzig, M. “Measuring patent assessment quality – Analyzing the degree and kind of (in)consistency in patent offices' decision making” , Research Policy, volume 36, 2007, pages 1404-1430.

    The authors argue that consistent decision making in judging a patent's validity and basing this on its underlying technological quality are important elements of patent office service ("assessment") quality. To understand which level of assessment quality patent offices (can) provide, particularly in new technological areas, the authors study the concordance of the European Patent Office's (EPO) granting and opposition decisions for individual patents. Using the biotechnology industry in the 1980s (an emerging patenting area then) as an example, we find no empirical evidence that the EPO provided maximal or optimal assessment quality as far as can be told from bibliographic indicators. The authors discuss research limitations and consequences of this first empirical analysis, and suggest ideas for refinements in future work.

  • Colson, T. “Protecting Your Intellectual Property with Patent Alternatives” , Industry Week, October 2007.

    How do you prevent competitors from obtaining patents that could block you from using your own innovative ideas in your products and services?This critical question faces managers of innovation and intellectual property throughout the global economy, which is increasingly embroiled in a hotly contested patent race. Read article.

  • Garvey, J. and Baluch, A. “Intellectual Property: Patent or Padlock: Patents and Trade Secrets Form the Heart of an Effective IP Strategy” , BioPharm International.com, February 2007.

    The intellectual property (IP) of a company is often its core asset. Acquiring, protecting, and enforcing IP involves decisions at the highest levels of the company, and IP commands a significant portion of the company's resources. For most life sciences companies, patents are usually considered to be the principle IP asset. In practice, however, these companies usually have extensive know-how, most often kept as trade secrets. Read article.

  • McDonald, D. “Intellectual Property and & Technology Newsflash: The New Currency” , Carlton Fields Attorneys at Law.

    Intellectual property ("IP") is the new currency in today's knowledge economy. Your company's IP is more valuable than ever, making the strategic use of such assets a competitive differentiator in the global marketplace. Many companies have developed large IP portfolios, but use only a small portion thereof in their core products and services; such companies have failed to recognize their IP as a key asset of their business. The remaining IP assets sit on the shelf even though some of them could provide enormous economic benefits. Companies leading the way in leveraging their IP have found ways to boost revenues, drive capital formation, and reduce risk. Read article.

  • Mitchell, G. R. “Instill the entrepreneurial mindset” , Research Technology Management, November-December 2007, volume 50, number 6, pages 11-13.

    As a long-time industrial researcher now turned academic, the author believes that the careers of industrial researchers in nearly all areas of science and technology would benefit significantly from formal training in entrepreneurship. Even if these courses are taken at the undergraduate level, the entrepreneurial management perspective carries over and is critically important to the professional researcher.

  • Smith J. and Slaney, B. “Amendments to the Patent Rules” , Blakes Bulletin on Intellectual Property, December 2007, page 6.

    On June 2, 2007, amendments to the Patent Rules came into force. The main changes involved the small entity regime, the type of evidence required to show entitlement when the applicant is not the inventor, and harmonization of the Canadian standard for sequence listing with the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) standard. Read article.

  • Smith, J. and Turco, A. “Amendments to the Trade-Marks Regulations” , Blakes Bulletin on Intellectual Property, December 2007, page 7.

    Amendments to the Trade-marks Regulations came into force on October 1, 2007 and apply to all trade-mark applications advertised in the Trade-marks Journal on or after October 1, 2007. As a result, such oppositions to applications advertised on or before October 1, 2007 will be treated differently than those advertised after October 1. Read article.

Reports and Papers

  • “Annual Report on Research and Technological Development Activities of the European Union in 2006” , a report from the Commission of the European Communities, 2007.

    This Annual Report covers developments and activities during 2006. The report is accompanied by a Commission Staff Working Document, which provides more detailed reporting and statistics. The main chapters are on the activities and results achieved in 2006 and on developments in research and technological development (RTD) activities in the Member States of the European Union. Read report.

  • “Canada's Performance Report 2006-07: The Government of Canada's Contribution”

    This report is the seventh annual report to Parliament on the federal government's contribution to Canada's performance as a nation, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement. Read report.

  • “What is STS Perspectives?” , a report by the Conseil de la Science et de la technologie Quebec, 2007.

    The STS Perspectives project is a foresight-type study designed to mobilize part of Quebec's scientific and technological energy in order to address some of the main socio-economic challenges that Quebec society will have to meet over the course of the next fifteen to twenty years. Read report.

If you have any articles/books/papers/reports that you would like to recommend, please send an email to Rosanne Mensour (rosanne.mensour@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca) with the appropriate bibliographic information.

Technology Transfer Tools

Technologies from Federal Labs

If you would like to include information on technologies developed in your federal laboratory in the next edition of FPTT News, please send an email to Rosanne Mensour (rosanne.mensour@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca).

Federal Patents Granted to Canada's Federal Laboratories

If you would like to include information on a federal patent that has been granted to your laboratory in the next edition of FPTT News, please send an email to Rosanne Mensour (rosanne.mensour@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca).

Interesting Links

  • 2008 PATSCAN Calendar of Bizarre Patents – This calendar is brought to you by PATEX Research and Consulting Ltd. PATEX is a research company providing the intellectual property community with profes­sional patent and trademark search services, operating under the PATSCAN trademark.

    To start off the New Year, the traditional PATSCAN calendar of bizarre patents presents some of the world's most wonderful inventions, celebrating the human creativity that began when the first hominids banged rocks together to make tools. Download calendar.

FPTT Meetings and Events

  • FPTT Quebec Chapter Meeting – The next FPTT Quebec Chapter meeting will take place on February 7, 2008 at Natural Resources in Sainte-Foye, QC. Details will be sent to members in the new year.
  • FPTT Ontario Chapter Meeting – The next FPTT Ontario Chapter will take place on February 21, 2008 in Ottawa, ON. Details will be sent to members in the new year.

Training Opportunities

Ongoing

  • Certificate in Intellectual Property and Commercialization Management
    University of Manitoba, in partnership with the Technology Transfer Office
    More information and to register.
  • E-learning

    The European Patent Office currently offers the following e-learning modules in order to maximise equal access to IP training throughout Europe and offer cost-saving and flexible opportunities for attending patent related IP courses on-line:

    • The European patent system
    • Searching and documentation
    • Special topics

    More information and to register.
  • Technology Transfer Training DVD Set

    The FLC has created an 11-DVD, 3-CD set containing 14 video courses covering a variety of technology transfer topics presented by subject-matter experts from industry and government. You can order the complete set containing 21 hours of video presentations for $140 (US) or you can order by the level of training. The levels include Fundamental, Intermediate, and Advanced.


    More information
  • Business Development Academy (BDA)The BDA is committed to providing unparalleled educational opportunities to the business community. Their mission is to develop a curriculum and recruit the instructors that will best serve our members in developing the critical thinking skills necessary to grow their businesses. They strive to present lectures that provide our members with key insights into core business development competencies as well as furnish speakers that discuss breaking businesses trends.
    December ,
    More information and to register.

September 2007

  • Patent Agent Training Course: Module 1 – Drafting and Prosecution
    Intellectual Property Institute of Canada
    September 10, 2007 to December 17, 2007
    (Distance Learning)
    More information and to register.

December 2007

  • Modern Grants & Contributions Management: Automating the G&C Common Process
    ProGrid Evaluation Solutions
    December 11, 2007
    Ottawa, Ontario
    More information and to register.
  • Modern Grants & Contribution Management: Tools & Techniques for the "Assessment" Step
    ProGrid Evaluation Solutions
    December 12, 2007
    Ottawa, Ontario
    More information and to register.

January 2008

  • "Building and Financing Spinouts"
    Association of European Science & Technology Transfer Professionals
    January 30, 2008 to February 1, 2008
    Vienna, Austria
    More information and to register.
  • "Fundamentals of Technology Transfer"
    Association of European Science & Technology Transfer Professionals
    January 30, 2008 to February 1, 2008
    Vienna, Austria
    More information and to register.

March 2008

  • Patent Agent Tutorials
    Intellectual Property Institute of Canada
    March 3, 2008 to March 4, 2008
    Gatineau, QC

July 2008

  • IPIC-McGill Summer IP Course: "Understanding Patents"
    Intellectual Property Institute of Canada
    July 28, 2008 to August 1, 2008
    Montreal, QC
    More information will be available shortly at: http://ipic.ca/english/general/upcoming.cfm

August 2008

  • IPIC-McGill Summer IP Course: "Understanding Trade-marks"
    Intellectual Property Institute of Canada
    August 4, 2008 to August 8, 2008
    Montreal, QC
    More information will be available shortly at: http://ipic.ca/english/general/upcoming.cfm
  • IPIC-McGill Summer IP Course: "The Business of Copyright"
    Intellectual Property Institute of Canada
    August 11, 2008 to August 13, 2008
    in Montreal, QC
    More information will be available shortly at: http://ipic.ca/english/general/upcoming.cfm
  • IPIC-McGill Summer IP Course: "The Trade-marks Practitioner
    Intellectual Property Institute of Canada
    August 11, 2008 to August 15, 2008
    Montreal, QC
    More information will be available shortly at: http://ipic.ca/english/general/upcoming.cfm

Upcoming Events

January 2008

  • New! Escaping the Valley of Death: Overcome the Funding Gap for Early-Stage University IP"
    Technology Transfer Tactics
    January 23, 2008
    (live audioconference)
    More information and to register.
  • ProTon Europe Annual Conference: "Public/Private Partnership"
    COREP (host organization)
    January 30, 2008 to February 1, 2008
    Turin, Italy
    More information and to register.

February 2008

  • 2008 AUTM Annual Meeting
    Association of University Technology Managers
    February 28, 2008 to March 1, 2008
    San Diego (USA)
    More information

March 2008

  • New! Driving Innovation from Science to Business
    European Trans2Tech Conference
    March 6, 2008
    Aix en Provence, France
    More information and to register.
  • World's Best Technologies Showcase
    Produced in cooperation with the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds and the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer
    March 26, 2008 to March 27, 2008
    Texas (USA)
    More information and to register.

April 2008

  • IAMOT 2008 – International Conference on the Management of Technology: "Creating and Managing a Knowledge Economy"

    April 6, 2008 to April 8, 2008
    http://www.buid.ac.ae/iamot2008/
  • 42nd IPIC Spring Meeting
    Intellectual Property Institute of Canada
    April 14, 2008 to April 15, 2008
    Gatineau, QC
    More information and to register.

May 2008

June 2008

  • New! IPTEC 2008: "Business Development Through Technology Transfer"

    June 11, 2008 to June 12, 2008
    Frankfurt/Main, Germany
    More information and to register.
  • 2008 ISPIM Conference: "Open Innovation: Creating Products and Services Through Collaborations"
    International Society for Professional Innovation Management
    June 15, 2008 to June 18, 2008
    Tours, France
    More information and to register.

September 2008

  • AIPPI 41st World Intellectual Property Congress
    Association Internationale pour la Protection de la Propriété Intellectuelle
    September 6, 2008 to September 11, 2008
    Boston, MA (USA)
    More information and to register.

October 2008

February 2009

  • 2009 AUTM Annual Meeting
    Association of University Technology Managers
    February 12, 2009 to February 14, 2009
    Orlando (USA)
    More information

May 2009

October 2009

  • LES Annual Meeting 2009
    Licensing Executives Society (USA & Canada)
    October 18, 2009 to October 22, 2009
    San Francisco (USA)
    More information will be available shortly at: http://www.usa-canada.les.org/meetings/

Jobs Available

  • Business Advisors (various locations across Canada)
     The NRC Central Business Support Office (NRC-CBS) requires Business Advisors. The Business Advisor(s) will enable the identification of the most promising opportunities, subsequent options for consideration, the development and implementation of strong IP management practices and processes to serve the organization and to facilitate technology assessments within the various portfolios within NRC. Responsibilities will include assisting institutes and programs in accessing market research, identifying areas for training and orientation and developing sessions to address these needs; business process review and improvement, such as the streamlining of agreement approval processes. Please refer to the attached poster for more information.
  • Manager, Commercial Development (Kingston, ON)
     PARTEQ Research and Development Innovations is seeking a Manager, Commercial Development. The successful candidate will advise inventors on additional research they could perform to maximize the commercial value of their inventions, and will participate in attracting resources for ongoing development of the technology. He/she will participate in the development of intellectual property protection and marketing strategies and will facilitate the licensing of new inventions by evaluating the market potential of the technology, preparing marketing materials, and identifying and negotiating with companies that may be interested in licensing new inventions. Read complete job description.
  • Director, Technology Licensing (Arizona, USA)

    The incumbent will assist University inventors in transforming scientific progress into products and services and lead the transfer of university-invented technologies to the private sector by mining university research, prosecuting patents, negotiating licenses, and marketing inventions.

  • New! Intellectual Property Coordinator

    Atomic Energy Canada Limited (AECL) has an immediate opening at their Chalk River Ontario location for an IP Coordinator. Read complete job description. Position is open until filled.

  • Patent Segment Manager (New Jersey, USA)

    The incumbent will be responsible for performing a wide range of tasks supporting the company's Intellectual Property licensing-related activities. The ideal candidate has a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering/Computer Science and a minimum of 3 - 5 years of IP assessment enforcement experience.

    Read job description

    (position open until filled)

  • Robarts Business Development Group Leader (London, ON)

    Robarts is a medical research institute within the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at The University of Western Ontario. Robarts has a long history of academic research excellence with a strong focus on the commercialization of research outcomes for public benefit.

    The Robarts Business Development Group Leader will be a member of the Robarts Research Institute senior management team. The Group Leader's primary responsibility will be to direct and manage the Business Development Office. This will include the overall management of Business Development staff and activities related to 1) identification, protection and commercialization of Robarts Intellectual Property arising from both publicly funded and industry sponsored research; 2) maintenance of existing and development of new research sponsorship opportunities; 3) Education of Robarts' faculty, students and staff on the importance of Intellectual Property protection and exploitation for socio-economic benefits of Canada; 4) Preparation and management of Business Development Budget.

    Read job description
  • New! Senior Business Development Officer

    The University Health Network (UNH) is seeking a permanent full time Business Development Officer in its Technology Development and Commercialization Office. Read complete job description. Position is open until filled.

  • Senior Communications Advisor (Ottawa, ON)

    The NRC Central Business Support Office (NRC-CBS) requires a Senior Communications Advisor. This position will appeal to a creative professional who wants to work in the dynamic, newly created central Business Support team. The focus of the position is on planning, developing and executing all facets of the team's strategic communications planning. This includes suggesting appropriate communications opportunities and approaches, and researching and written material and presentations. The incumbent must have above average client-service orientation, solid research and writing skills, and must also be at ease interacting with all levels of NRC staff, including senior executives. The incumbent will be responsible for helping to portray NRC as a leading tech transfer player and for helping to showcase the various services and products of the Business Support team. Read complete job description.

  • Technology Analyst – Engineering & Physical Sciences (Calgary, AB)

    The Technology Analyst – Engineering & Physical Sciences (TA-E&PS), as a member of the Licensing and Business Development team, will facilitate the disclosure and perform comprehensive evaluations of cutting-edge discoveries predominantly in the area of energy (e.g. fuel cells, oil and gas) and environmental technologies. The successful candidate will advise inventors on additional research they could perform to maximize the commercial value of their inventions, and will participate in the development of financing for ongoing development of the technology.

    Read job description
  • Technology Analyst (Kingston, ON)

    PARTEQ Research and Development Innovations is seeking a Technology Analyst. This position is designed as an entry level commercialization position, giving the successful candidate broad exposure to the business of technology transfer while developing the requisite functional skills to become a manager. Read complete job description.

  • Technology Transfer Coordinator (Toronto, ON)

    Reporting to the Intellectual Property Management Strategist, of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the Technology Transfer Coordinator provides critical support for technology transfer in the areas of marketing and licensing, intellectual property management and administration.

    Read job description

    (position open until filled)

  • Technology Transfer Manager

    The University of Saskatchewan is seeking a technology transfer manager for science and engineering.

    Read job description

    Position is open until filled.

If you would like to include a job posting in FPTT News, please send an email to Rosanne Mensour (rosanne.mensour@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca).

Other Electronic Newsletters

FPTT invites our readers to help us improve FPTT News. Please feel free to send your comments or suggestions concerning any aspects of the newsletter to Rosanne Mensour (rosanne.mensour@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca).

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Date Published: 2008-08-05

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