A new U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program encourages entrepreneurs to bring innovative energy technologies to market by making DOE technology available for license at a significantly reduced up-front fee. The Department of Energy owns seventeen national laboriatories that perform research in a broad spectrum of energy-related fields. The technology resulting from this research is often patented, and the DOE will license the technologies to interested parties.
Under the new program, energy entrepreneurs who want access to DOE national laboratory technologies can license up to three patents for a $1,000 up-front fee. Over 15,000 national laboratory patents are currently available for license. The patents cover a variety of technologies, including solar cells and other energy storage devices, electrical appliance energy consumption monitoring and control systems, and diesel engine emission reduction technologies. The patents are available for review in a database that is available on the DOE Technology Transfer Website.
The program will begin May 2, 2011 when the DOE will publish a license application form on its website. Under the program, the DOE’s initial license fee will be $1,000 instead of the typical $10,000 – $50,000. The licensee will then pay royalties when it starts to commercialize the technology. Royalty amounts and other commercial terms will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis, although the DOE plans to publish a standard license agreement form to simplify the process.
To request a license, applicants must submit a business plan and identify the technology of interest. The DOE will accept applications May 2, 2011 through December 15, 2011.
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