Auburn University

We were able to locate detailed royalty sharing information for Auburn University dating as far back as 1993. Since then, Auburn has had two iterations of its patent royalty sharing policy.

Summary

Institution	Start	End	Flat	$0-10k	$10-50k	$50-100k	$100-300k	$300-500k	$0.5-1M	>$1M	Fee	Lab	More
Auburn University	1993	2012	No	0.50	0.50	0.50	0.35	0.30	0.30	0.30	0.15	Yes	No
Auburn University	2013	2017	Yes	0.40	0.40	0.40	0.40	0.40	0.40	0.40	0	Yes	No

Policy Excerpts

2013 Policy

Auburn University Patent Policy (2013)

Prior to declaring “net revenues,” the out-of-pocket costs sustained by Auburn university for (a) patent prosecution though attorney firms, (b) patenting and patent maintenance fees, (c) licensing and license maintenance costs, (d) evaluation or marketing services, and (e) university costs for patent infringement actions will be taken from gross revenues. Salaries and wages to employees of AU OTT and the cost of OTT operation are not considered out-of-pocket expenses. Net revenue consequent to the above will be distributed as follows:

1. 40% to the inventors prorated according to contribution;

2. 45% to [Auburn University] (distribution within AU is elaborated below); and

3. 15% to [Office of Technology Transfer] for operation and expenses.

The 45% of the Net Revenue allocated to AU is meant for the support and promotion of research, research infrastructure, promotion of inventions, and transfer of university technology to worthy external entities for the benefit of the broader economy and society. Appropriate activities include but not limited to:

1. The development of inventions and prototyping;

2. Testing of inventions to improve commercialization;

3. An infrastructure to do enabling “proof of concepts”;

4. The investigation of markets, and business plan development;

5. The creation and maintenance of a network of investors;

6. An infrastructure to enable new business startups based on AU inventions;

7. Training on technology transfer;

8. Seed funds for additional research and development to further the invention; and

9. Other undefined steps to improve the commercialization of inventions.

The recommended share from the 45% distributions to AU is:

1. Inventor’s research program =20%

2. Department=15%

3. College =15%

4. VPR=50% (for use as prescribed above)

1993 Policy

A representative from Auburn's Office of Innovation Advancement and Commercialization shared details of the university's policy from 1993 to 2012.

The Office first took 15% as an administrative fee (after out of pocket expenses). Of the 85% remaining, the breakdown to the inventor was:

• 50% of the first $100,000
• 40% of the next $100,000
• 30% thereafter

Relevant Links

• Auburn University Tech Transfer Office
• Auburn University Patent Policy (2013)