What is the process of licensing an innovation?

If you have identified an innovation or invention that interests you, the first step is to contact USC Stevens to find out who is responsible for managing the licensing of the innovation.

Sharing of Non-Confidential Information: We can immediately send you non-confidential information and put you in touch with the inventor(s) for an initial discussion.

Signing of Non-Disclosure Agreement: If the innovation has not yet been published and/or you would like to discuss the confidential aspects of the innovation, a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) must be signed.  If material or tangible research property is necessary for evaluation a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) will need to be signed. Once a NDA has been executed, we can send you all information available about the innovation and the inventor(s) can provide you with any materials necessary.

Meeting with Innovators: USC Stevens will facilitate meetings between you and the inventor(s).

Option to License: If you are interested in licensing a technology from USC, there are different types of licenses available. An option to a license ensures that a license will be available at the end of your evaluation period. Options are typically 6 months in duration. Licenses can be exclusive, non-exclusive, geographically or field of use limited. If you will also be sponsoring research at USC, we will make sure you have the right contacts.

For further information regarding the licensing process, please contact us.

How much does it cost to license an innovation from USC?

We look at a number of factors when negotiating a license. We work with licensees to develop terms that are fair to all parties and that will provide incentives to rapidly commercialize the discovery. Our licenses include upfront licensing fees, annual maintenance payments and milestone payments, patent prosecution costs, earned-royalty payments, and equity, when appropriate. 

What does USC look for when selecting a company to license its technology?

We want licensees who have the resources, technical expertise, and management skills required to quickly build a sustainable commercial success utilizing the innovation.

How much will I make from royalties?

In short -- it depends. There are many factors that contribute to how much an inventor will make in royalties from a particular patent including patent expenses, patent coverage, overall market size, and product cycles, to name a few. If you have specific questions about your invention, contact the USC Stevens licensing team.