This section of the ORSP website houses basic information about different aspects of Technology ("Tech") Transfer, mostly focusing upon Intellectual Property (IP). Through links to external resources, and documents and forms that pertain specifically to SF State, it should provide a basic understanding of how IP and IP protection may relate to your work at San Francisco State University and beyond.
Tech Transfer
Tech Transfer is the process of transferring scientific findings from one organization to another for the purpose of further development and commercialization. The process typically includes:
- Identifying new technologies
- Protecting technologies through patents and copyrights
- Forming development and commercialization strategies such as marketing and licensing, based on the technology
Intellectual Property
According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (a specialized agency of the United Nations), Intellectual Property (IP): Refers to creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce.
IP is divided into two categories: Industrial property, which includes inventions (patents), trademarks, industrial designs, and geographic indications of source; and Copyright, which includes literary and artistic works such as novels, poems and plays, films, musical works, artistic works such as drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures, and architectural designs.