There are three separate IP committees that are utilized as part of the commercialization process at UNCW: the IP Protection Committee and the IP Support Committee, each of which fall under the purview of the Chancellor’s Intellectual Property Committee.
After the disclosure review process is conducted by the OIC, the IP Protection Committee will review the invention and make a recommendation to the IP Committee as to whether the innovation can or should be protected. Otherwise, an innovation may be non-patentable intellectual property that may require further development, or is ready for commercialization.
In the event UNCW does not elect to pursue patent protection or commercial action, the innovation may be returned to the innovator(s) via a license from UNCW. Depending on the nature of the innovation, there are different approaches to intellectual property protection including, for example, filing for patent, filing for copyright or trademark protection, or treating the IP as a trade secret.
NOTE: UNCW recommends consulting with the Office of Innovation and Commercialization prior to formation of a legal entity such as an LLC or Corporation.