The Government has simplified and standardised intellectual property (IP) agreements to promote greater research commercialisation and closer collaboration by universities and researchers with Australian industry.
IP agreements can be a time-consuming and expensive process for universities and researchers and their prospective partner organisations to manage.
The new Higher Education Research Commercialisation (HERC) IP Framework https://www.education.gov.au/hercip will help simplify IP negotiations and stimulate collaboration and commercialisation between industry and universities.
Universities are encouraged to adopt the standardised material voluntarily as part of their broader commercialisation plans.
The Framework consists of 12 template IP agreements with plain English descriptions of legal terms and clauses, as well as associated educational materials to support their adoption.
An expert Advisory Committee will be established by my Department to support the ongoing implementation, updating and adoption of the HERC IP Framework.
Committee members will be drawn from business, university, and government and their expertise will help inform future updates.
We will continue to consult with universities and industry over the next 12 months to review the adoption of the the HERC IP Framework to ensure it is actively supporting innovation and commercialisation opportunities, as intended.
