Patent Info 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 them.  To report your innovations, visit the Reporting Your Innovation page and follow the links on it to see additional information.

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

In most cases, undergraduate students may keep the IP rights of their inventions, if none of the following conditions applies:

• 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 work 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 the 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 the 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.