Secretary, Patent Committee
c/o Research and Technology Administration Office

For enquiries, please contact:

Mrs Alice N. Yip, Director,
Research and Technology Administration Office
Tel: 2609-8883, E-mail: aliceyip@cuhk.edu.hk

Mr. Chan Yick San, Contract and Intellectual Property Manager,
Research and Technology Administration Office
Tel: 2609-8929, E-mail: chanysan@cuhk.edu.hk
 

Decision Making Process:

Since the approval by AAPC of the new administrative structure of the RTAO(formerly named as RAO) in March 1998, a two-tier approach has been adopted for patent acquisitions:

(a) those that are acquired for commercial reasons alone, and

(b) those that are acquired only for the University's reputation as demonstrable record of achievement in applied research.

Because the objectives are different, these are handled by different parties and measured against different criteria.

Approach (a)

Technology Licensing Office(TLO)(a sub-unit of RTAO) is authorized to acquire patent and proceed on a purely commercial basis, i.e. patents will be pursued only for potential monetary rewards. No approval from any committee is required. Success will be measured against future income.

Upon receipt of a completed Technology Disclosure Form, the TLO will first explore and assess the commercial potential of the Technology by consulting its external advisor and/or internal/external expert(s) in the respective field. If the Technology is commercially viable, the TLO would explore the possibility of attracting commercial partner(s) to invest in the Technology.

Approach (b)

The University may wish to acquire and hold a portfolio of patents for non-commercial reasons, e.g. simply as a visible sign of its accomplishments in applied R&D - so-called "vanity patents".

If there is no commercial partner, the TLO will then present the Technology to the Patent Committee for further deliberations. The Committee will assess the Technology based on its scientific merit and reputation to the University. Success will be measured simply in terms of the number of patents issued, irrespective of future commercial exploitation.

For both procedures, the inventor(s)'s and department(s)'s willingness to contribute towards the patent cost will be taken into consideration.

Timeline:

Allow 1 - 2 months for the TLO to identify possible commercial interest and decide on the filing. Allow 1 - 3 months for the TLO and the Patent Committee to arrive at a decision about the filing. Allow 4 - 6 weeks for the patent attorney to prepare the application with the assistance of the inventor(s).

If RTAO or the Patent Committee arrives at a decision to move forward with the patent application, the RTAO will notify the inventor(s) in due course.

Funding for Research Assistant:

After the patent application is filed with a government patent office, the inventor(s) may apply for one year's funding(typically HK$150,000) through the Research Committee (RC) for a Research Assistant to assist you in the development of your invention. A report on the development should be submitted to the RC within one month of the fund end date.