Time is an important factor when it comes to protecting intellectual property. The motto is “first patent, then publish,” because prior publications can impede the process of obtaining a patent. Being unable to prove that industrial property rights have been secured also lowers the chances of obtaining external funding for further development and validation. This kind of approach has further advantages for scholars, scientists, and researchers:

• The patent application already counts as a publication.
• Inventors receive 30 percent of the gross proceeds of commercialization as personal compensation for them as inventors. Their working groups also participate from a monetary standpoint.
• The university management of Freie Universität Berlin has set out guidelines on the protection and commercialization of intellectual property.

Profund Innovation provides initial information on the subject of industrial property rights and puts people in contact with the Patent and License Service of Freie Universität.