Researchers Area
  
Tech Transfer Process

1 Research & Discovery

Conceive and start to develop your idea for a new technology or an improvement to an existing technology.
If your idea can result in a practical invention make sure you contact Yissum before publication in an article, conference, poster or submission of a student thesis.  

2 Invention Disclosure

Make your idea known to Yissum: contact your Licensing Officer, who is responsible for all commercialization activities around your invention.

  • Submit a Declaration of Invention: A formal legal document of the Hebrew University by which the researchers notify Yissum of their invention according to the University Regulations. It also specifies the division of rights among the inventors (all inventors must sign it) or between different institutions to which inventors are affiliated.
  • Explain your idea to Yissum in a detailed technological format (similar to materials and methods, results and figures in an article).

 
3 Yissum’s Decision

Yissum’s monthly Patent Committee assesses your idea. The committee asks:

  • Is it protectable?
  • Is there a market for it?
  • Can we license it?
  • Is there a rush to file?  If so, Yissum can file an application via “Fast Track”.  

 
Some disclosures may be determined as “pre mature”, in which case, Yissum can reconsider your disclosure if you decide to develop the technology further.
 
4 Inventor is Notified by Yissum

  • We either decide to file or not to file the patent application.
  • The researcher is notified on Yissum’s decision.

 
5 Patenting

  • A patent is filed first as a provisional application; (cost: a few hundred dollars). Within a year this application is replaced by an International application (cost: around $12,000), and within another year and a half these are replaced by a plurality of individual patent applications in specific countries (cost: up to several tens of thousands of dollars).
  • The applications are examined by professional patent examiners, in view of prior patent and scientific literature and are either rejected, corrected or allowed in several examination cycles (a process that may take 3-5 years).
  • If the application is approved a patent is granted.  Infringing third parties can be sued only when the patent is granted.
  • If the technology has not been commercialized, and as the patent progresses and becomes expensive, Yissum may choose to release the invention to the researcher’s own care.

 
6 Marketing

  • Yissum’s Licensing Officer identifies companies that may be interested in the invention and pro-actively markets the technology to those companies.
  • Yissum’s Business Intelligence Officer performs a Market Analysis and recommends a commercial strategy for your invention as well as potential licensees.
  • A one-page summary of the technology is written and posted on Yissum’s Web site.
  • Other marketing materials may be developed.

 
7 Licensing

  • A patent license is negotiated with a potential Licensee. This may be a lengthy process which may take from a few months to several years.
  • A patent license is a contract between Yissum and a commercial partner.  Yissum gives the Licensee permission to develop, make, use or sell the invention.
  • Licensing revenue is paid by the Licensee to Yissum and is distributed according to the University regulations among all the inventors (40%), their laboratories (20%) and the University (40%), where it is used to support further research.