Protecting Your Intellectual Property
IP protection is crucial for businesses and we are here to provide guidance for CU faculty and researchers.
Intellectual property (IP) protection is vital, and we assist CU faculty and researchers in safeguarding their innovations. Patents, copyrights, and trademarks are key tools we use to protect and commercialize their creations, ensuring they retain exclusive rights and recognition.
A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention. This right is granted by government authority to an inventor and most are valid for 20 years in the U.S. from the date the application was filed with the USPTO. A patent is a legal right to an invention given to a person or entity without interference from others who wish to replicate, use or sell it.
Patents are a key way for CU to protect inventions made by its researchers. The university, as owner of inventions made by its faculty, students, and staff, can grant licenses for these patents to companies that possess the expertise to transform the invention into marketable products or services (see CU's patent policies).
Copyright protects original works by U.S. authors that are fixed in a tangible form, such as writing or recording. It grants exclusive rights to creators, preventing unauthorized use or copying. For CU faculty, copyrights safeguard their original works. Ownership depends on the work's nature: faculty typically own copyrights for creative works, textbooks, teaching materials, and scholarly works, while CU owns copyrights for commercial works like software developed with CU resources.
To begin this process download this Copyright Submission Form and use one of these methods:
- Mail the completed form to CU Innovations at 1890 N Revere Ct, Aurora, CO 80045
- Email the completed form to cuinnovations@cuanschutz.edu or directly to your your CU Innovations case manager
A trademark is an easily recognizable symbol, phrase, or word that denotes a specific product or service. It distinguishes a product or service from others, helping consumers recognize your brand and setting it apart from competitors. A trademark can be any of the following:
- Word: A specific word or phrase
- Symbol: A recognizable design or graphical representation
- Combination: A mix of words, symbols, or both
CU Innovations uses trademarks to protect products or services developed by researchers. Trademarks distinguish products, while patents grant rights to exclude others from using or selling inventions.
For More Information
See our Copyright and Trademark FAQs or contact Tara Dressler for assistance.
The Do’s and Don’ts of Good IP Hygiene
Don’t file patents yourself on discoveries that were made in your role at CU.
Do submit an invention disclosure form so that you can work with a member of Innovations to protect ideas.
Don’t share or publish ideas that might have the potential to become a product.
Do file an invention disclosure first to see if it can be protected.
Don’t brainstorm new products with industry representatives without a contract.
Do have initial chats, then call Innovations for the right agreement and next steps.
Don’t drop your ideas into random AI tools.
Do use Copilot or chatGPT in the campus environment
Don’t write down what patents block you or why something isn’t patentable.
Do ask Innovations—we’ll loop in an IP attorney on your behalf.
Don’t sign agreements (CDAs, NDAs, etc.) yourself.
Do let Innovations handle who should review and sign.
Don’t add third-party software (even open source) into your code without checking.
Do talk to Innovations first if you need to use third party code.
Don’t ignore signature requests from Innovations or IP attorneys.
Do respond promptly, check spam folders, and reach out with questions!
Download for Quick Reference
Good IP Hygiene Do's and Don'ts
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