As a result of a recent Supreme Court decision, Stanford vs. Roche, the University has amended the University Patent Acknowledgement Form (UPAY 585). As you are aware, this form is signed by all University employees and other personnel who use University research facilities or University gift, grant, or contact research funds. Effective Tuesday, November 1, 2011, departments should use the updated form for newly-hired employees, appointees and visitors.
The updated form clarifies that the intent of the Patent Acknowledgement Form is still to assign to the University the rights to patents and inventions that are made using University resources or facilities. Please note that the University Patent Policy is not changing nor is the scope of inventions that are assignable to the University.
The Patent Acknowledgement will be updated in two steps over the next several months:
- Beginning November 1, 2011, all newly-hired employees, appointees and visitors will sign the updated 2011 Patent Acknowledge Form. The form can be found here: Oath & Patent Acknowledgment (PDF), or on the Forms Page of the Payroll Portal.
- Beginning November 28, 2011, all academic appointees, staff and visitors hired prior to November 1, 2011, were asked to sign a 2011 Amendment to the Patent Acknowledgement or Patent Agreement. An outside vendor, working with UCOP, developed the process for employees to sign the form electronically. The project was completed early in 2012. It is now possible to search a database to determine if individuals have signed the amendment. The web site is hosted by At Your Service Online (AYSO) and is called Patent Amendment Signature Data.
