Non-disclosure agreements are used to protect proprietary or confidential information from use or further dissemination by the recipient of the information. These documents are more than pro-forma – when working with collaborators, potential licensees, investors, and others outside the university, poorly drafted NDAs can put your valuable IP in grave danger.
In academia, NDAs are used to protect patent rights from public disclosures that threaten patentability. But just as importantly, NDAs used in partnerships, co-invention, licensing discussions, and investment negotiations prevent others from co-opting your researchers’ valuable innovations. In a worst-case scenario, you can literally lose the rights to the patent, as has been made painfully clear by the courts under certain circumstances.
Given the huge stakes, it’s imperative that universities understand the implications of a poorly drafted and executed NDA – and make sure these documents anticipate every twist and turn along the way. That’s why Tech Transfer Central has scheduled this detailed and practical webinar:
Join us as our patent attorney-TTO executive team will discuss NDAs, their use in academia, and the key legal issues around compliance and enforcement. They’ll discuss critical issues associated with NDAs in university research and commercialization such as:
- Understand NDAs, what their purpose is, and when they are needed
- Unique challenges faced by academic institutions:
- Managing disclosure among multiple sources of funding
- Inter-institutional partnerships
- Co-invention
- Disclosure to potential licensees and investors
- Best practices for working with faculty to ensure the effectiveness of an NDA
- A solid review of how to draft the most critical elements of NDAs
- Enforceability and litigation: What to do if the agreement is breached (by either side)
Plus: Join in the Q&A to get your specific questions addressed.
Meet your presenters:
Kathryn Doyle, PhD
Partner
Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr
A patent attorney with a PhD in virology and cell and molecular biology, Kathryn has developed a “known for” practice representing universities and companies throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and nationally in identifying, protecting and enforcing their intellectual property in the areas of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, genomics, and medical devices.
Kathryn began her career as a virologist and cell and molecular biologist, and made the switch to patent law more than 20 years ago. Given her scientific, patent and legal background, Kathryn is well versed in multiple aspects of life sciences patent law. Her clients include biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies as well as venture capitalists and universities. She counsels them in patent procurement, post-grant procedures, due diligence, infringement and invalidity opinions, licensing, as well as in patent portfolio management. She also provides assistance in patent litigation.
Ellen Purpus, PhD
Assistant Vice President for Enterprise and Innovation
University of Nevada, Reno
Ellen Purpus oversees the development of enhanced enterprise and commercialization services on campus including technology transfer functions such as patents, licensing, agreements, start-ups, and corporate relations.
Purpus specializes in the protection and commercialization of discoveries. She is a frequent speaker for AUTM and an active member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and other organizations working to advance research and discoveries.
Coronavirus update
In response to the spread of the COVID-19 virus and our customers’ efforts to minimize exposure through travel restrictions, at-home work, and reductions in internal gatherings for training and education, we are temporarily expanding our distance learning offerings to make all programs more accessible. Orders for all live programs will include up to five additional lines at no additional charge for staff within your organization who can attend remotely, and all live programs will include our digital package – the on-demand video and print transcript. These will be delivered soon after the live program with no extra fee. In the current climate resulting from pandemic control efforts, we hope these additional access options will help your organization continue to receive important professional education and training safely and regardless of travel and social distancing restrictions.
