Intellectual property - MRC e-Val 2010
The translation of some research findings into practice can, in part be tracked by monitoring the use of protection such as copyrights, trade marks, and patents. Of particular interest is the subsequent use of this intellectual property, its contribution to patient benefit, and (if commercialised) its direct economic impact.
MRC e-Val collected information about 495 discoveries that have been or are in the process of being transferred to or shared with others. These included 42 reports of copyrighted works, 135 reports of discoveries for which protection was not possible or required, and 319 reports relating to published and granted patents. Approximately 30% of patents arising from MRC funded research since 2006 were reported as licensed by 2010, which is comparable with the rate in similar organisations. Bringing these discoveries to market is a highly collaborative endeavour and information from the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) show that applicants on these patents include over 70 global organisations.
This section gives details of the volume of intellectual property generated by MRC research, the numbers of patents published, the main organisations named as applicants on patents, and specific examples of intellectual property arising from MRC funded research. These examples encompass work from MRC institutes, units and centres, and from other researchers based in Universities across the UK.
