TO FILE OR NOT TO FILE? NAVAL RESEARCH LABORATORY RITA C. MANAK, Ph.D. HEAD, TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER OFFICE MIDATLANTIC REGIONAL MEETING SEPTEMBER 16, 2008

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS DIRECTOR OF NAVAL RESEARCH NRL DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER NRL LEGAL NRL GENERAL LEGAL NRL PATENT OFFICE ONR LEGAL

NRL PATENT ATTORNEYS TECHNICAL DEGREE 1. Nuclear Engineering, graduate work in Electrical Engineering 2. Computer Engineering 3. Mechanical Engineering, graduate work in Optics 4. Electrical Engineering 5. Materials Science AREAS OF PRACTICE Radar, hyperspectral imagery, networking, communications systems, fiber lasers, diode lasers, spectroscopy, high energy lasers, RF and microwave filters Radar, hyperspectral imagery, networking, communications systems, fiber lasers, diode lasers, spectroscopy, high energy lasers, RF and microwave filters Software agents, image processing, signal processing, computer models, data structures Software agents, image processing, signal processing, computer models, data structures Negative index optics, fiber lasers, acoustics, UAVs, geospatial data structures, neural networks, electro- optics, microwave electronics, computer modeling Negative index optics, fiber lasers, acoustics, UAVs, geospatial data structures, neural networks, electro- optics, microwave electronics, computer modeling Microelectronic devices, software systems Microelectronic devices, software systems Polymers, immunoassays, bioinformatics, liquid crystals, thin film self assembly, Polymers, immunoassays, bioinformatics, liquid crystals, thin film self assembly,

NRL PATENT ATTORNEYS (cont’d) TECHNICAL DEGREE 6. Biochemistry 7. Chemical Engineering 8. Physics 9. Chemical Engineering 10. Electrical Engineering AREAS OF PRACTICE Immunoassays, carbon nanotubes, semiconductor devices, microfluidics Immunoassays, carbon nanotubes, semiconductor devices, microfluidics Semiconductor devices, field emitters, aerogels, pulsed laser deposition, nanoscale devices, electro-optical devices, spectroscopy, nuclear quadrupole resonance Semiconductor devices, field emitters, aerogels, pulsed laser deposition, nanoscale devices, electro-optical devices, spectroscopy, nuclear quadrupole resonance Environmental modeling, photonics, high power electronic devices, diode lasers, optical filters, signal processing Environmental modeling, photonics, high power electronic devices, diode lasers, optical filters, signal processing Chemical and biological sensing, carbon nanotubes, lithography, nanoscale composite materials Chemical and biological sensing, carbon nanotubes, lithography, nanoscale composite materials Photonics, fiber amplifiers and lasers, retroreflectors, imaging systems, pattern recognition, biometrics, sensor fusion, photonic bandgap fibers, signal processing Photonics, fiber amplifiers and lasers, retroreflectors, imaging systems, pattern recognition, biometrics, sensor fusion, photonic bandgap fibers, signal processing

DECISION MAKERS Patent Attorney: patentability review Patent Attorney: patentability review Invention Evaluation Board: Go/No- go Invention Evaluation Board: Go/No- go –Chaired by NRL scientist appointed by Director –Representative scientists appointed by Director –Associate Counsel, Intellectual Property –Head, Technology Transfer Office

NRL DECISION PROCESS Invention Disclosure filed in NRL Patent Office, Invention Disclosure filed in NRL Patent Office, Disclosure reviewed for patentability by NRL patent attorney, Disclosure reviewed for patentability by NRL patent attorney, Inventions deemed patentable submitted to Invention Evaluation Board (IEB), Inventions deemed patentable submitted to Invention Evaluation Board (IEB), Primary IEB reviewer presents invention to IEB, Primary IEB reviewer presents invention to IEB, IEB votes. IEB votes.

CRITERIA Defensive, so government not charged royalty for its inventions; or Defensive, so government not charged royalty for its inventions; or Commercial potential; or Commercial potential; or “Stake in the sand”…attribution. “Stake in the sand”…attribution.RESULTS Most patentable inventions are filed. FY07:110 Invention Disclosures received 118 Patent Applications Filed 118 Patent Applications Filed 52 Patents Issued 52 Patents Issued