Katherine Ku, Director of the Office of Technology Licensing (OTL) at Stanford University, talks about the mission of the OTL at Stanford.Their main philosophy is to do what's best for the technology, and that doesn't always mean going for the top dollar.
Ku believes technology licensing is not always about licensing products and making money. It's also about fostering lasting relationships with companies and individuals. She talks about some of the interactions and relationships that Stanford University has with outside groups.
Ku describes the process of licensing a technology from start to finish.
Ku talks about some of the big licenses to come out of Stanford University since the beginning of the Office of Technology Licensing.
Most people might assume that Stanford University generates a large number of high profit licenses. Ku explains what the financial numbers really look like on average.
Ku talks about what the Office of Technology Licensing is really looking for in terms of what will be a successful patent.
More and more universities are starting to see faculty and students create start ups.However, sometimes a conflict of interest can arise. Ku discusses how her office handles these entrepreneurs and conflicts.
Ku talks about how the main appeal of a career in technology licensing is that it is never the same position from one day to the next. There is the opportunity to meet new people, create an astounding network, and to always know what is on the cutting edge of research and technology.
Simply having a new technology is not enough to gain a license. Ku talks about how the Office of Technology Licensing at Stanford asseses each technology, and what recommendations they might make to the entrepreneur.
Ku discusses the expense of international patents and how they tend to approach international markets.
Ku explains the impact of the Bayh-Dole Act on international and domestic technology licensing.
As Ku says, pricing a technology is an art, not a science. She describes the process of determining the equity volume of the various technologies that her office sees.