Frequently Asked Questions |
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Details shall be posted on the website shortly. To see details of the last Awards ceremony and innovators gallery please click here. |
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Medical Futures is continuously developing it's website, so please accept our apologies if certain advertised Awards, do not appear to have their own web pages yet. If you would like to enter for an advertised Award that does not yet appear to feature on the website, please follow this link to enter the Awards and follow the instructions. |
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Anyone involved in the healthcare industry is eligible to enter, whether employed in the NHS, a PCT, the academic sector, private sector or in a joint venture. You can be an individual, a team or an established business, whatever you are, this year's Judges welcome entries from all backgrounds and at all stages in the development cycle, from just an idea to a fully implemented business. |
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Entries are now being accepted for the Awards. The entry process to the Awards is in two stages. In the first stage you are asked for a brief summary of your idea and this is via a simple on-line entry form. If you are selected to proceed, you will then be asked for further, more detailed, information before your entry is forwarded to the Judges. The closing date for first stage entries is 31st December 2010. |
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No. By entering the competition you will not affect rightful ownership of your intellectual property. The Medical Futures Innovation Awards simply acts as a conduit to help introduce you to people and organsiations that can help facilitate you or your organisation's idea. Your idea will not be passed onto the Judges if we believe that your intellectual property protection is inadequate. Equally we only request a short summary of your idea and we ask that you do not disclose too much information until such a stage that you have protected your intellectual property. All entrants are given feedback and advice by members of the Medical Futures Team incorporating relevant comments from the Judges when appropriate. |
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Clearly the first owner of any invention is the inventor. For an ''independent inventor'' that settles the matter. However, many people invent things while in employment, this is common within the NHS and under the laws of most countries employees' rights will belong to their employer, if they are employed to invent. Generally speaking, if you are employed in a position where inventions can well occur and you are employed to contribute in that way, an invention relevant to the field of your employment will be owned by the employer automatically. On the other hand, if you are employed in one area and invent something in a totally different technical area, it will normally be yours, particularly if you are not employed in a position where inventions are expected. Although the employer can claim ownership of the IP, in most Universities and increasingly in NHS Trusts there is provision for the inventor to benefit financially if the invention is commercially successful. The simplest method of doing this is to use a ''constant ratio of sharing'' where net income is shared in a set ratio between the parties involved i.e. inventor, department and institution. Net income refers to the income after patenting and other costs are recovered. In the case of disputes legal advice should be sought. Medical Futures works closely with the NHS Innovation Hubs to help communicate the NHS IP Framework Policy to healthcare professionals. At the i2 Event, representatives of the Innovation Hubs will be on hand to answer any questions you may have. |
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We advise all innovators to be cautious about the information they disclose to third parties. We also recommend that you seek independant legal advice on how best to protect your intellectual property.
At the i2 Events, legal and patent representatives are present and you can speak to them on a one to one basis to get their advice. |
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