It depends on the researcher's employment contract, the university's statutes and IP policy, the terms of any funding and the research agreement itself. Universities commonly claim ownership of inventions made by staff using institutional resources, with revenue sharing for inventors, but policies differ and some are incomplete. Students and visiting researchers may not be bound in the same way unless they sign specific agreements. Before any technology transfer, we review these documents, identify gaps in the chain of title and recommend assignments or confirmations so that ownership can be relied on by licensees and investors. Gaps are best fixed early.

A sponsor can ask, but universities often resist full ownership, especially where background IP, student work or public funding is involved. Common compromises include university ownership with an exclusive licence or option for the sponsor, ownership by the sponsor of results in a defined field, or joint ownership with clear licence terms. The right answer depends on the funding provided, each party's contribution and commercial plans. We help sponsors and institutions negotiate technology transfer terms that give the sponsor commercial certainty while preserving the university's research mission and its ability to continue related work.

Agreements typically allow the sponsor a short period to review a draft publication, often around thirty to ninety days, with the option of a further limited delay to file patent applications. Longer or open-ended delays can harm academic careers and student progress and may conflict with university policy or funder requirements. The sponsor can usually require removal of its own confidential information but should not be able to suppress results. We draft publication clauses that strike this balance and set out clear procedures, so that review periods are applied consistently across projects, avoiding timing disputes and simplifying later licensing.

An option gives a company the right, for a defined period, to negotiate or take a licence to specified results or technology, often in exchange for a fee or continued research funding. It lets the company evaluate the technology before committing. The option should define the technology, the evaluation period, the main licence terms or how they will be agreed, and what happens if no licence follows. We draft options that give companies a genuine opportunity while keeping the university free to license elsewhere if the option lapses without agreement, with any exclusivity limited to the specified technology and term.

A spin-out is usually a private limited company registered with the RJSC, with researchers as founders and the university holding equity or receiving royalties under a licence. Key documents include the shareholders' agreement, articles of association, licence or assignment of IP, founder service agreements and policies on conflicts of interest. If foreign investors participate, investment registration through Invest Bangladesh and foreign exchange rules become relevant, and companies located in hi-tech parks may deal with the Hi-Tech Park Authority. We advise on each step of the spin-out and technology transfer process. Early structuring avoids later disputes.

Some do. Depending on the funder, the recipient and the nature of the project, rules on foreign donations, research permits, ethics approvals, export of samples and data protection may apply. Universities may also have internal procedures for externally funded projects. The position should be checked before funds are received or work begins, because retrospective approval can be difficult. We review the project, the funding structure and the recipient's status, then advise on approvals and draft the research agreement so that funding depends on the necessary permissions. Keep approvals and funder correspondence in the project file.

Revenue from licences or spin-out equity is usually shared between the university, the inventors and sometimes the department or research centre, according to institutional policy. Agreements with companies should specify royalty rates, milestone payments, equity, audit rights and reporting, while internal arrangements determine how income is distributed. Where several institutions contributed, inter-institutional agreements should set out each one's share and who leads commercialisation. We draft licence payment terms and inter-institutional agreements and can advise universities on developing or updating their revenue-sharing policies in practice. Clear policies make technology transfer easier to explain to inventors and partners.

The agreement should provide escalation steps, rights to terminate for breach or loss of funding, and clear consequences for results already generated, unspent funds, equipment, students and ongoing patent applications. Without these, a breakdown can leave inventions in limbo and researchers unable to publish. We draft termination and transition clauses that protect students and continuing research, and advise on resolving disputes through negotiation, mediation or arbitration. Where necessary, our dispute resolution team can act in proceedings in Bangladesh or abroad. Interim arrangements should cover use of results and student supervision while a dispute is resolved.