- Invention-related Information may include any materials, documents, data, or communications that describe, support, or relate to the invention, including drafts, notes, preprints, manuscripts, correspondence, or any information generated or shared during discussions or evaluations
- Personal information is information about users of the Inventor Portal which is unrelated to their professional affiliation with the University. Examples of personal information collected through the Inventor Portal include a user’s legal name, home address, and personal contact details
- Managing “Intellectual Property” may include, but is not limited to, prior art searching, preparing, filing, and managing patent applications in Canada and, if applicable, in other countries
The University of Toronto collects personal and invention-related information through the Inventor Portal for the following purposes:
- To manage invention disclosures, commercialization objectives, and intellectual property
- To maintain accurate records and facilitate communication with users and external parties
- To comply with legal, funding, and institutional reporting requirements
- To process our requests to patent offices and external patent agents/attorneys
Information collected through the Inventor Portal and other communications will be treated as strictly confidential by University officials and will only be accessed by authorized staff in the Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation. The information will only be shared internally on a strict need-to-know basis.
Your personal and invention-related information may be shared externally with domestic and international patent offices and agencies, commercialization partners, and funding agencies as needed. It will not be sold at any time and will only be disclosed for the purposes listed above or as required by law.
The University may process information submitted through the Inventor Portal with enterprise licensed artificial intelligence tools to assist in analysis, management and commercialization of invention related data, in accordance with applicable privacy and confidentiality requirements.
The University is required to maintain certain records to support patent applications and protect intellectual property. Personal and invention-related information may therefore be archived indefinitely in accordance with the records retention schedules established by the University of Toronto Archives and Records Management Services (UTARMS).
Personal information you provide to the University through the Inventor Portal is collected under the authority of section 2(14) of the University of Toronto Act, 1971 and is protected at all times by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act of Ontario. All data collected will be stored and protected through appropriate technical and process protections and restricted to appropriately-trained individuals.
Personal information shared with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) is protected under the Privacy Act of Canada. Information shared with other patent offices is subject to the privacy and data protection laws of the jurisdiction where the corresponding patent application is filed.
Information shared with patent agents and attorneys is treated as confidential and may be protected by solicitor–client privilege, or by similar professional privilege recognized under applicable laws. Where foreign patent agents or attorneys are engaged, confidentiality and privilege protections extend in accordance with the laws of the relevant foreign jurisdiction and any applicable non-disclosure or agency agreements.
Contact: For any questions related to this consent, please contact: commercialization@utoronto.ca.
