How much does it cost to license a WiSys technology?

All licenses and associated license terms are crafted for each technology. However, a license typically involves three expenses: an upfront license fee, patent cost reimbursement and running royalties typically based on the selling price of products. The license fee and the patent reimbursement costs are often upfront fees, while royalties are due when a product is commercialized and sold.

How do I license a WiSys technology?

For an overview, please read the information on the WiSys licensing process. After you have reviewed this material, feel free to use the contact form at the bottom of the technology description page or contact a WiSys representative.

What are the advantages of licensing a technology?

Licensing UW System intellectual property provides many benefits, including:

  • Improved time to market, creating increased profit opportunities;
  • Greatly reduced R&D costs;
  • Opportunity to enter new markets and expand your company quickly.

Does WiSys sell commercial products?

WiSys licenses intellectual property that can be developed into commercial products, rather than selling the products themselves. If you would like to know if a particular WiSys technology has or is being developed into a product by a company or if a prototype is available, contact a WiSys representative.

How do I know if a WiSys technology is still available for licensing?

To find out whether a technology you're interested in is still available, contact a WiSys representative. Although certain inventions are already exclusively licensed, we often continue to publicize them on our website because we've found that site visitors are still interested in these technologies and want to contact the companies developing them.

My company would like to sponsor research on a UW System campus. How do we make this happen?

Industry-sponsored research at the Universities of Wisconsin typically involves two agreements. The first is a research agreement between the campus at which the research will be conducted and the sponsoring company, which defines the scope of the project. Often, a second agreement, called a sponsor option agreement, is negotiated between WiSys and the company at the same time. The sponsor option agreement defines the licensing rights of the company to any intellectual property that may emerge from the sponsored research.

A company may also make a gift to the campus. These funds are unrestricted, meaning they are not directed toward any specific research and do not give the company any rights to future intellectual property.

Who arranges consulting agreements between companies and faculty and staff on a UW System campus?

Universities of Wisconsin scientists represent themselves in any consulting agreements with private companies. However, WiSys might ask a company to enter into a consulting agreement with an inventor when his or her invention is licensed, in order to fully support the technology's development.

How do WiSys' patenting and licensing processes differ from those of other technology transfer organizations?

WiSys is structured in a customer-focused manner. Patenting and licensing activities are divided between intellectual property managers who work with Universities of Wisconsin inventors to patent their discoveries and licensing managers who focus on licensing discussions and negotiations with industry. This structure allows WiSys to hire staff with specific industry experience in either patenting or licensing and leads to faster overall patenting and licensing processes.

My schedule is very busy, making travel to Madison difficult. How can I meet with you?

If travel to Madison is difficult for you, the WiSys team will be happy to travel to your location for discussions and negotiations.