Melan develops patent strategy and IP frameworks that protect your interests while enabling research collaboration to move forward — covering licensing negotiation, IP valuation, and IP portfolio management.
IP is the most contested asset in research partnerships. Deep tech sectors add complexity: foundational patents, government funding requirements, and academic disclosure norms. We provide intellectual property consulting that navigates ownership, licensing, and IP commercialization before conflicts arise. Our intellectual property asset management approach covers the full lifecycle from invention to revenue.
How It Works
We audit your existing IP position, conduct IP valuation, and build a patent strategy aligned with your partnership goals. For university partnerships, we work directly with technology transfer offices to structure technology licensing terms that satisfy institutional requirements while enabling IP commercialization.
For clients with mature portfolios, we provide invention monetization advisory and trademark advisory services. Our IP portfolio management approach ensures your intellectual property asset management stays aligned with evolving partnership and market dynamics.
IP strategy is most effective when paired with partnership strategy to define the broader framework, and portfolio intelligence to track IP across multiple partnerships.
What We Cover
- IP audit and landscape review: Assess existing patents, trade secrets, and disclosure risks
- Patent strategy: Align patent portfolio with partnership and commercialization goals
- Technology licensing: Structure licensing negotiation terms that balance exclusivity, access, and revenue sharing
- Freedom-to-operate analysis: Identify infringement risks before you scale
- IP valuation: Assess the value of intellectual property assets for partnerships and deals
- University IP navigation: Work within Bayh-Dole requirements and TTO processes
Related Case Studies
NVIDIA and Eli Lilly’s $1B AI Drug Discovery Lab
NVIDIA and Eli Lilly structured a $1B co-innovation lab where joint IP ownership, platform licensing on BioNeMo, and patent strategy for AI-discovered drug candidates required a comprehensive IP framework before the first experiment ran — IP audit, technology licensing terms, and freedom-to-operate analysis across AI models and pharmaceutical compounds. Our analysis shows how the partnership’s joint investment structure created aligned incentives while protecting each party’s core IP assets.
Merck and Mayo Clinic’s AI Data Platform Deal
Merck and Mayo Clinic solved the fundamental IP tension in healthcare data partnerships — AI models travel to the data, not the reverse — requiring IP valuation of clinical data assets, technology licensing terms for platform access, and a freedom-to-operate framework that satisfied patient privacy regulations while enabling AI-driven drug discovery. Our analysis demonstrates how the Platform_Orchestrate model creates a replicable IP structure for pharma-hospital AI collaborations.
Explore Our Other Capabilities
- Competitive Landscape Analysis
- Partnership Strategy
- Technology Scouting
- Research Program Management
- Portfolio Intelligence
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bayh-Dole compliance?
The Bayh-Dole Act allows universities to retain ownership of inventions from federally funded research. Compliance requires specific disclosure, election, and reporting steps. We help institutions meet these requirements while structuring practical technology licensing deals.
Do you provide legal advice?
We provide intellectual property consulting and develop patent strategy. For legal opinions and patent prosecution, we work alongside your counsel or refer to specialized IP attorneys.
Can you help with inventor disputes?
Yes. We address inventorship, ownership, and royalty allocation issues early in the partnership structure to prevent conflicts. When disputes arise, we facilitate resolution between parties.
Do you handle invention monetization?
Yes. We advise on invention monetization strategies including licensing, spinoff formation, and partnership structures that generate revenue from IP assets. This is part of our broader IP commercialization and intellectual property asset management services.
