Huntington Times

The Marshall University Technology Transfer Office (TTO) will host a virtual seminar on intellectual property on April 21, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. via Microsoft Teams. This free session aims to provide attendees with an understanding of intellectual property protection. It will cover the primary areas of intellectual property law — patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and copyrights — with a particular focus on patent protections.

Participants will learn about statutory requirements for obtaining a patent, university ownership of inventions, differences between patent applications and technical publications, distinctions between inventorship and authorship, considerations for preserving patent rights in an academic setting, and how to determine when an invention is ready for patenting.

The seminar will be conducted by Terry Wright, an attorney from Stites & Harbison PLLC in Louisville, Kentucky, and Amy Melton, the director of the Marshall University Technology Transfer Office.

Wright, who has extensive experience in advising clients from small businesses to multinational corporations, develops intellectual property protection plans for various industries, including consumer goods, medical devices, and life sciences. His background in life sciences and academic research enables him to advise companies and university technology transfer offices on patent-based intellectual property strategies.

The seminar is open to the public, but registration is required. Interested individuals can register at https://events.marshall.edu/event/intellectual-property-virtual-seminar. For additional information, contact Melton at 304-696-4365 or via email at tto@marshall.edu.