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    Innovation Office

    Welcome to the Innovation Office

    The innovation office is responsible for educating and facilitating the protection and commercialization of intellectual property.

     

    About Us

    The Innovation Office is responsible for protecting intellectual property at Qatar University for all of the university’s members, including faculty, staff, and students. The Innovation Office was established out of the university’s keenness to encourage a culture of creativity and excellence. The office works with various bodies concerned with intellectual property rights at the national and international levels, such as the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Qatar Foundation, Qatar Research Development and Innovation Council, and external partners from various universities and research bodies. Protection is carried out through cooperation with licensed international law firms specializing in intellectual property protection in many countries of the world.

     

    The main goal of the office is to create a strong intellectual property infrastructure at Qatar University that is consistent with the research excellence at Qatar University, the requirements of the Qatari community, and the opportunities available in global markets. The office also seeks to increase awareness of intellectual property rights within Qatar University and in Qatari society in general through workshops, seminars, lectures, conferences, etc.

    If you are a member of Qatar University and would like to protect and exploit your intellectual property commercially, whether it is patents, copyrights, trade secrets, or anything else, do not hesitate to contact us, and we will work to guide and assist in the protection and commercialization.

    Innovation office management

    Vision: To become a leading center of excellence in intellectual property education, research, and marketing, and to contribute to the development and promotion of the economic and social well-being of the State of Qatar.

    Mission: اRaising awareness of the types and importance of intellectual property for all employees of Qatar University, as well as protecting it in various ways and marketing it. .

    Innovation Office tasks:

    • Promoting awareness of intellectual property rights and duties among university employees, including faculty members, researchers, and students
    • Establishing a systematic structure that includes procedures, instructions, and special forms that are followed and used to disclose intellectual property rights
    • Identifies, evaluates, and protects the university employees’ intellectual properties 
    • Providing consulting services to faculty members and researchers regarding patents and assisting them in registering their inventions
    • ‌Coordinating and managing the process of submitting applications for intellectual property protection
    • Carrying out administrative and regulatory procedures before the competent authorities to register intellectual property rights
    • Contributing to marketing intellectual property and communicating it to investors
    • Submitting periodic reports to management on work achievements and difficulties
    • Any other tasks assigned to the office by the administration

    About IP

    Intellectual Property: creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names, and images used in commerce.

    Intellectual Property Rights: all rights associated with intangible assets owned by a person or company and protected against use without consent.

    Invention: An invention is a research result that can potentially be commercially exploited. Which can be patented if it meets patent law criteria for patentability.

    Patent: A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted for a limited period in exchange for disclosure of an invention. Patentable inventions must be new, useful, and non-obvious.

    Copyright: Copyright is a form of protection provided to the authors of “original works of authorship.” This includes literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works as well as computer software.

    Trademark: A trademark can be any word, phrase, symbol, design, or combination of these things that identifies your goods or services.

    Innovation Office process in invention protection

    How to protect your invention?

    Research

    Ideas and discoveries begin through the research process, which determines whether the outcome of the research effort contains an invention that can be patented.

    Invention disclosure

    The inventor fills out and submits the invention disclosure form to the Innovation Office to begin the evaluation and protection procedures. Innovation Office Online submission 

    Evaluation of the invention

    The Innovation Office conducts an evaluation of the invention. This includes a study of the invention disclosure form as well as the market, competing technology, and prior art research.

    Protection

    The Intellectual Property Advisory Committee (IPAC) will decide whether to apply for patent protection based on the evaluation.

    Marketing

    We want your work to have the greatest possible effect and reach. The Innovation Office will review regional to international opportunities with industry-leading firms, entrepreneurs, and investors and evaluate the global market potential of your invention.

    Innovation Office | Qatar University - Image1  

    Intellectual property numbers

    Innovation Office | Qatar University - Image2  

     
     

    What is the need for a patent?

    When an invention is protected by a patent, the owners get exclusive control over it and are empowered to take legal action to prevent unauthorized use, sale, production, or import.

    How long is a patent valid for?

    20 years from the filing date of the patent application.

    What is my responsibility as an inventor?

    • Disclose inventions to the Innovation Office by completing the invention disclosure form when you think you have created an invention or discovered something unique with commercial or research value.
    • Before disclosing your invention with anyone outside of QU, including businesses or the media, contact the Innovation Office to avoid risking the loss of your patent rights and impeding your ability to market your idea.
    • On the invention disclosure form, include companies and contacts you believe might be interested in your invention. Inventors initiated a large number of successful commercialization stories.
    • Respond to Innovation Office requests in a timely manner. Some aspects of the patent process may require significant participation on your part.
    • Inform the Innovation Office of any upcoming publications or interactions with companies related to your invention. In some cases, a nondisclosure agreement may need to be put in place before a discussion with the company to protect QU’s patent rights.

    What is the Invention Disclosure Form?

    The invention disclosure form (IDF) is a written description of your invention and serves as the formal record of your invention. This helps the Innovation Office to assess the invention for patent protection and marketing. Please note that a disclosure to the Innovation Office is confidential and is not a public disclosure, nor does it protect your invention.

     

    What are the requirements for patentability?

    To be patentable, an invention must be:

    1.  Patentable Subject Matter: subject matter that is eligible for patent protection under patent law.

    2.  Novel: The invention must be new – it must differ from the knowledge that already exists in the prior art

    3. Inventive: An invention is considered to involve an inventive step (or to be non-obvious) when the invention would not have been obvious to a person skilled in that particular field of technology

    4. Useful: An invention cannot be a mere theoretical phenomenon; it must be useful and provide some practical benefit.

     

    What is the prior art?

    Knowledge that already exists in the public domain, prior patents, published patent applications, any publication available to the public, and items on sale. Anything publically disclosed about your invention (by you or anyone else).

    What is the difference between an inventor and an author of a journal paper?

    Inventor:  who made intellectual contributions to the idea's conception

    Author: who contributed ideas, labor, or effort to finish various experimental works.

    • The Innovation Office at Qatar University, in cooperation with the Intellectual Property Training Center for the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, participated in the Doha Horticultural Expo 2023 on Wednesday, December 27, 2023, in a workshop entitled “The Role of Intellectual Property in Protecting Horticultural Innovations between Developments and Challenges.” Participation was in two sessions: The first session was on the role of the Innovation Office at Qatar University in protecting innovations, presented by Prof. Talal Mohammed Al tahtamouni, Acting Director of the Innovation Office. The second session was on examples of Qatar University’s innovations related to horticulture, presented by Prof. Alaa Al-Houri from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Dr. Iman Saleh from the Department of Biological Sciences.

    • Online Seminar-College of Pharmacy- Intellectual Property Rights – Protecting your creativity and innovation, 1-2 pm, Monday, 4 December, 2023
    • Online Seminar- GLS- Intellectual Property Rights How: the Innovation Office May Help You, 3-4 pm, Monday, 4 December 2023
    • Lecture on “Technology Transfer and Processes for IP Protection” for the Center for Advanced Materials, 10-11 am, Thursday, 23 November 2023  
    • Presentation on “Unlocking Innovation: Navigating the World of Intellectual Property Rights” Qatar University, Annual Research Forum & Exhibition 2023, 11:50 – 12:50 pm, Wednesday, 15 November, 2023
    • Online Workshop “Patent from Idea to Market-Inventor’s Role” 12:15-1:45 pm, 12 November 2023
    • Lecture on “Introduction to Intellectual Property Rights, procedures, requirements for filling IP” for the College of Arts and Science Master Students as part of their Research Methodology course. 3:30-5 pm, 31 October 2023     
    • Lecture on “Intellectual Property Fundamentals & Innovation Office Services” for the College of Engineering Master Students as part of their Applied Research Methodology course. 5-7 pm, 29 October 2023
    • Online Workshop “Filing a patent at QU: What you need to know” 12:15-1:45 pm, 8 October 2023
    • Lecture on “Intellectual Property Fundamentals & Innovation Office Services” for the College of Engineering PhD Students as part of their Applied Research Methodology course. 1 October 2023
    • Symposium “Patent Symposium – What are patents, and how do we get them?” at Qatar University Library, 27 September 2023

    1.  Intellectual Property Rights Protection Department at the Qatari Ministry of Commerce and Industry – https://www.moci.gov.qa
    2.  Patent Office at the Secretariat General for Cooperation Council- https://www.gccpo.org/
    3. World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)- https://www.wipo.int
    4.  WIPO Patentscope (Searching) – https://patentscope.wipo.int
    5.  United States Patent Office (USPTO) – https://www.uspto.gov/patent
    6. European Patent Office (EPO) – https://register.epo.org/



    Disclose your Intellectual Property

    If you are a QU employee or student and wish to submit a new invention for patent or would like to know the procedure of patenting or like to discuss issues related to intellectual property, please visit our office or contact us at:

    College of Education Building (Old) (B04)

    Room 122 - 123, Ground Floor.

    Email: QU.IP@qu.edu.qa

     

    Phone Numbers: +974-4403-7197, +974-4403-6813

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