1.0  Introduction

 WiSys Technology Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), is the designated patent and licensing organization for new discoveries made by researchers at UW System institutions other than UW-Madison. Established in July 2000, the mission of WiSys is to provide protection for technology through patents or other methods, for UW System faculty/staff discoveries and to negotiate license agreements that enable industry to commercialize inventions from UW System institutions. WiSys was organized to protect inventions made through UW System research and to license those innovations to industry for the benefit of humankind, the inventors, their campus, college, department and the UW System.  As UW scientists and researchers generate a steady flow of new discoveries, new possibilities for helping industries and new avenues for generating revenue to meet needs.  The funds received through revenue on agreements helps to support ongoing research programs via this policy.  The services provided by WiSys are at no cost to the inventor, who must be a UW employee.  Each campus is responsible for developing a policy for sharing the campus 40% share of the revenue from licenses.  The established WiSys standard for the overall split is:  20% Inventor, 40% Institution, 25% WiSys, and 15% UW System.  The purpose of this policy is to identify the disbursement on the Stout campus of the 40% institutional share.

WiSys makes WARF’s 75 years of experience available statewide under a service agreement with WARF.  WiSys adds new dimensions to technology transfer and economic development efforts throughout the State.  This includes collaboration with the Small Business Development Centers “SBDC”, and other technology transfer and business development entities. 

2.0  Relation to UW System Intellectual Property (IP) Policy

2.1    UW System faculty and staff own their own IP in absence of federal funding or requirements of industry sponsors.  Patents resulting from research projects funded by the federal government are subject to the Bayh-Dole Act. (35USC 200et.seq.; UW FAP G2 and G27)
 

2.2    Copyright protection encourages the creative efforts of authors, artists, and others by securing the exclusive right to reproduce works and derive income from them.  Copyright is created automatically once an original effort has been started and some aspect of it has been fixed in a tangible medium.  Copyright can also be registered for additional protection and notice to potential infringers.

2.3    Trademark Protection functions to increase distributional efficiency by making products easy to locate without confusion, identifying the source of goods and services for customers preventing competitors from using marks that may cause a likelihood of confusion.

3.0  Statement of Policy

     3.1        The 40% split at UW-Stout will be allocated in the following manner:

3.1.1        50% to the Inventor

3.1.2        25% to the College

3.1.3        25% to the University

3.2        The following guiding principles are to be followed in the allocations:

3.2.1        The campus formula is designed to support and provide incentive for discoveries by UW-Stout faculty/staff.

3.2.2        The 25%to the College and the 25% to the University are to be used to support research and related activities.

3.2.3        The 25% College share is to be split between related Departmental, Institute and College needs with the decision being made by those involved.

4.0  Implementation

At UW-Stout, the unit of Research Services is the central institutional unit for processing and managing the records of contractual arrangements on the selling side, which includes Confidentiality Agreements, Sponsored Research Agreements, Work for Hire Agreements, and Licensing Agreements including Copyright and Trademark.  Research Services is assisted by UW-System legal staff in the General Counsel’s office and by WiSys.