Patent information for Georgia Tech community

According to Georgia Tech’s Intellectual Property Policy, faculty, staff, and graduate students should report their innovations to the Office of Technology Licensing (OTL) prior to publicly disclosing it.  To report your innovation, visit Reporting Your Innovation and follow the links on the page.

To understand the process from disclosure to licensing, review this flowchart from OTL.

In most cases, undergraduate students may keep the IP right of their invention/innovation, if none of the following conditions apply:

• When working on a research project funded by an entity other than Georgia Institute of Technology, the Georgia Tech Foundation, or the Board of Regents;
• When employed by Georgia Institute of Technology; or
• When required by the Office of the Provost. Such requirement may be recommended by a faculty member who has students working in faculty-directed researches.

Undergraduate students may seek coordinated legal assistance if they participate in programs, such as Create-X, VentureLab, etc. or use the Pro Bono program, if they qualify, or the Law School Clinic program for assistance in patent filing.

To learn more about patent process, read this book written by a patent attorney: Patent it yourself: a step-by-step guide to filing at the U.S. Patent Office.

You may also connect to Georgia Tech's PTRC guide - Patents & Trademarks for additional information.

Before filing, take an overview of a patent application and maintenance process: Patent process overview.

To file a U.S. patent application  online, visit Patent Center and create a MyUSPTO account to get started.

• If you choose to file a provisional application for patent, follow these steps. 
• If you decide to fill a non-provisional (utility) patent application, read this guideline first.

To help you understand the patent examination process, you may view/search the Manual of Patent Examination Procedure (MPEP) online.