Challenging current model in exploiting university-based inventions

The current debate on the university invention ownership model claims that the famous Bayh-Dole act-based model is likely not the best option, as the results are very controversial. Different models have been proposed to determine better ways of supporting society´s development. This paper investigated a promising university research-based invention and identified challenges encountered on the road towards its invention. The term `invention´ is used in this paper to refer broadly to research results protected and owned through patents and/or copyrights. This terminology reflects the fact that, in Finland and probably many other countries as well, more and more commercially exploitable research results, such as software and databases, fall into the category of copyright material. Although copyright and patent regimes indicate different legal frameworks for university ownership, Finnish universities to a large extent apply the same principles. University patent ownership is facilitated by the University Invention Act and copyright ownership through corresponding rights transfer agreements between the university and the researcher. Theoretically, this paper attempts to contribute to the on-going discussion on different invention ownership models by showing via an in-depth case study what kinds of challenges are to be expected when preparing an invention for market introduction.