Point of difference

How is this different to what has been in place to date within the ATN universities?

• For the first time, the ATN is clearly stating that, guided by our industry partners, we encourage them to own and take the lead in commercialisation of intellectual property generated from industry funded research. We intend this to be a strong and positive message, reassuring industry about our starting proposition in relation to harnessing IP.
• By making our Intellectual Property Policies and Standard Commercial Agreement templates public, we are providing a simple and transparent framework, that gives industry the opportunity to understand upfront what is involved in working with a university, and, we expect, reassuring them that the process needn’t be overly complicated or onerous.
• Making a public pledge to be timely, flexible and user-friendly is something we take seriously. We intend to prove, with our actions, that we are fully committed to these principles.

How is this different to the IP Toolkit that has been developed by the Government?

• The ATN IP principles complement the work of the Department of Industry and Science and IP Australia’s IP Toolkit in helping to remove barriers to collaboration between research organisations and industry.
• The IP Toolkit is an excellent resource providing effective guidance and information on how to improve discussions on IP in research collaborations; it is a particularly useful tool for those who have little experience with IP.
• Through the Australian IP Toolkit, we have many of the tools to facilitate collaboration. Our IP principles provide the foundation for, and the impetus to lead to, success.

How is this different to Easy Access IP?

• There are a lot of synergies between the Easy Access IP approach and the ATN IP principles. Easy Access IP is a suitable approach for IP that is difficult to commercialise through traditional routes, for example IP in very early stage of development or with lots of uncertainties and a high risk profile. In such cases, the Easy Access IP approach allows businesses to evaluate agreements quickly with reduced investment.
• Our ATN IP Principles outline the approach we have resolved to take in all of our dealings with industry, not just those projects that are difficult to commercialise. We recognise that there is a diversity of models and agreements that can be taken – Easy Access IP is just one of them. Our commitment is to be flexible, agile and pragmatic about the best approaches to best any given engagement.

What does the ATN hope to achieve with its IP principles?

• We want to send a strong signal to industry, our staff, our students, as well as our wider stakeholders, that we value and prioritise collaboration.
• ATN universities are recognised as being the partner of choice for industry, and with the adoption of these principles, we are actively working to reinforce this reputation by further reducing barriers to collaboration between research organisations and industry.