Linking Parent-Child Inventions

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BACKGROUND

If multiple inventions are combined into a single patent family, it may be appropriate to create a parent/child relationship between the inventions in iEdison. This allows iEdison to recognize the patents reported in iEdison as being connected to both inventions, thus fulfilling the Bayh-Dole patent filing requirements of both inventions.

Important things to note about parent-child inventions:

The oldest technology should be the parent record; the younger technology(ies) should be the child(ren).
Once you have linked a child to a parent record, notifications related to patent filings and utilization for the child should automatically be cleared if they are addressed under the parent record. You will still be required to have an accepted invention disclosure and elect title on the child record.
Parent and child inventions cannot have a title election status of "Designated as a Biological Material or Research Tool."
All patents must be entered under the parent invention. If there are patents entered under the child invention, they must be moved to the parent invention before the child can be linked.
The government-support clause of patents must include all of the funding listed in the parent and child inventions.
Utilization reports should be reported under the parent invention.

There are two methods for linking Parent/Child inventions:

Method 1. Directly modifying the Invention Report:

Enter the Parent Invention Report number.
Save and Confirm.

OR

Method 2. Converting to Child from the Invention Report:

Enter the Parent Invention number.
Save and Confirm.

Method 1. Directly modifying the Invention Report (OPTION 1)

1a. Enter the Parent Invention Report Number

Open the Invention Report you wish to designate as a child. In the Invention Details panel, enter the Invention Report Number (#######-##-####) of the Parent Invention into the "Parent Invention Number" field.

1b. Save the Invention Report

Click the "Save Invention Report" button at the top of the window. A popup window will ask you to confirm you wish to save the report. Click "Confirm."

The Invention Report will now be saved and recorded as a child. No further action is necessary.

Method 2. Converting the Invention Report (OPTION 2)

2a. Select "Convert To Child" from the button at the top of the window

Open the Invention Report you wish to designate as a child. Click on the "Action" button in the upper-left corner of the window and select "Convert To Child."

2b. Enter the Parent Invention number

A popup window will ask you to enter the Invention Report Number (#######-##-####) of the Parent Invention.

2c. Save the Invention Report

Click the "Save" button. Another popup window will ask you to confirm.

Click the "Confirm" button. The Invention Report will now be saved and recorded as a child. No further action is necessary.