What is WiSys' relationship to the University of Wisconsin?
WiSys, a private, nonprofit foundation, is the designated patent management
organization of the UW System. Thus, WiSys is a separate entity from the UW
System, but the UW System is WiSys' only beneficiary.
How much does it cost to license a WiSys technology?
Licensing a WiSys technology typically involves three expenses: a license fee,
patent reimbursement costs and royalties. The license fee and the patent
reimbursement costs are upfront fees, while royalties are due when a product is
commercialized and sold. Because each technology has a different market value,
the exact dollar amounts of these costs are negotiated with a licensing manager.
How do I license a WiSys technology?
For an overview, please read the information on the WiSys
licensing process.
After you have reviewed this material, feel free to use the contact form at the bottom of the technology description page or contact a WiSys representative.
What are the advantages of licensing technology?
Licensing UW System intellectual property provides many benefits, including:
- Improved time to market, creating increased profit opportunities
- Greatly reduced R&D costs
- Opportunity to enter new markets and expand your company quickly
Does WiSys sell commercial products?
WiSys licenses intellectual property that can be developed into commercial
products, rather than selling the products themselves. If you would like to know
if a particular WiSys technology has or is being developed into a product by a
company, contact a WiSys representative.
How do I know if a WiSys technology is still available for licensing?
To find out whether a technology you're interested in is still available,
contact a WiSys representative. Although certain
inventions are already exclusively licensed, we often continue to publicize them
on our website because we've found that site visitors are still interested in
these technologies and want to contact the companies developing them.
My company would like to sponsor research on a UW System campus. How do we make
this arrangement?
Industry-sponsored research at the UW System typically involves two agreements.
The first is a research agreement between the campus at which the research will
be conducted and the sponsoring company, which defines the scope of the project.
Often, a second agreement, called a sponsor option agreement, is negotiated
between WiSys and the company at the same time. The sponsor option agreement
defines the licensing rights of the company to any intellectual property that
may emerge from the sponsored research.
A company may also make a gift to the campus. These funds are unrestricted,
meaning they are not directed toward any specific research and do not give the
company any rights to future intellectual property.
Who arranges consulting agreements between companies and faculty and staff on a
UW System campus?
UW System scientists represent themselves in any consulting agreements with
private companies. However, WiSys might ask a company to enter into a consulting
agreement with an inventor when his or her invention is licensed, in order to
fully support the technology's development.
How do WiSys' patenting and licensing processes differ from those of other
technology transfer organizations?
WiSys is structured in a customer-focused manner. Under a service contract with
WARF, patenting and licensing activities are divided between intellectual
property managers who work with UW System inventors to patent their discoveries,
and licensing managers who focus on licensing discussions and negotiations with
industry. This structure allows WiSys to hire staff with specific industry
experience in either patenting or licensing and leads to faster overall
patenting and licensing processes.
My schedule is very busy, making travel to Madison difficult. How can I meet
with you?
If travel to Madison is difficult for you, WiSys licensing managers are happy to
travel to your location for discussions and negotiations.
