Innovation Direct™ Company on Two Inventions

ITT Licensing Secures Exclusive Developmental Agreements with New York-based Innovation Direct™ Company on Two Inventions

ITT Licensing announces it has secured exclusive developmental agreements on two inventions from its roster with a company that is an integral part of ITT's Innovation Direct™ program.

Miami, FL, March 23, 2008 --(PR.com)-- ITT Licensing, a South Florida-based leader in product licensing for a decade, is pleased to report that it has entered into exclusive developmental agreements for two of its inventor clients' inventions with a New York-based company that is part of ITT's dynamic new product subscription service for manufacturers, Innovation Direct™.

The New York-based company displaying the advanced level of interest in these two items has been considered a leader in product development and commercialization for a decade, and boasts over 300 product success stories to date according to their official company website.

The company took an interest in the two concepts after receiving preliminary information on them in the latest Innovation Direct™ package of innovations sent to them by ITT Licensing. Innovation Direct™ is a dynamic new product idea subscription service for manufacturers, wherein ITT Licensing delivers information on new product ideas tailored specifically to a company's stated needs in one convenient e-mail communication.

The agreements signify that the company will be performing their due diligence over the next several weeks on the potential of the two inventions and will evaluate their possible long-term fit with their product lines. If the product ideas are deemed worthy of commercialization by the company, then ITT Licensing will enter into negotiations on a licensing agreement for each with the manufacturer.

About ITT Licensing: ITT Licensing is the trade name for International Technology Transfer, Inc., a South Florida based leader in the field of new product licensing and intellectual property transfer for more than a decade.

Contact:
Juan C. Blanco, Director of Product Licensing
International Technology Transfer, Inc.
(786) 232-6133 Voice
(305) 238-5647 Fax
press@ittlicensing.com
www.ITTLicensing.com

Brown goes Green at 7th annual Tech in the City at George Brown College

Media Advisory/Photo Opportunity - Brown goes Green at 7th annual Tech in the City at George Brown College

Electric Vespa, portable wind turbine and solar tracker among students'
green inventions

TORONTO, March 25 /CNW/ -

<<
WHAT: George Brown College's Tech in the City

WHEN: Wednesday, March 26

8:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Secondary school student
competitions
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Keynote speech by Lisa Glithero,
environmental educator
12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. George Brown technology student
inventions

WHERE: George Brown College - Casa Loma Campus - Main Entrance
146 Kendal Avenue (south of Davenport Rd. west of Spadina
Ave.)

WHO: - Keynote speaker
- Lisa Glithero, award-winning environmental
educator, youth advocate and community innovator
- Current and prospective George Brown technology students
- Toronto-area high school students interested in careers
in construction and engineering technologies
>>

Green is gold in the construction and engineering sectors, according to a
survey of students and employers to be released at George Brown College's 7th
annual Technology in the City event. The event will showcase the important
role that construction and engineering sectors will play in our economy,
society and environment. It highlights the growing demand for graduates in
these fields and will demonstrate how environmentally conscious students
entering these fields today can become catalysts for environmental change in
the future.
George Brown College is addressing the growing demand for environmental
training in this sector by integrating an environmental perspective into its
curriculum to better prepare graduates with the skills and knowledge sought by
employers. The green theme of this year's Technology in the City supports this
focus and is highlighted by current students' green inventions, high school
student tech competitions and a speech by renowned environmental educator Lisa
Glithero on moving to a green society.

Secondary Student Competitions (8:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.)

One of the most popular elements of Tech in the City, this year more than
150 Toronto high school students will participate in technology competitions
ranging from computer networking to electrical, masonry and sheet metal. The
winners of each competition will receive a year's tuition at George Brown
College in the technology division. Winners will be honoured at an awards
ceremony at 2:30 p.m.

George Brown Student Inventions in the Green Display
(12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.)

Graduating technology students unveil their green inventions including an
electric Vespa, a portable wind turbine, an electric wheelbarrow, a solar
energy tracker, and a robot wall-climber.

Keynote address (11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.)

Lisa Glithero speaks about connecting youth with the global ecosystem and
motivating groups to effect positive societal change. Through personal
stories, visuals and humour, she will discuss Education and Transformative
Learning, Youth Engagement and Sustainable Communities. Lisa is the founder of
EYES, a Canadian not-for-profit organization that brings a sustainability
focus to educational pedagogy and practice.




For further information: Alison Crocker, (416) 342-1802,
crocker@mediaprofile.com

ITT Licensing Secures Exclusive Developmental Agreements with New York-based Innovation Direct™ Company on Two Inventions

ITT Licensing Secures Exclusive Developmental Agreements with New York-based Innovation Direct™ Company on Two Inventions


ITT Licensing announces it has secured exclusive developmental agreements on two inventions from its roster with a company that is an integral part of ITT's Innovation Direct™ program.

Miami, FL, March 23, 2008 --(PR.com)-- ITT Licensing, a South Florida-based leader in product licensing for a decade, is pleased to report that it has entered into exclusive developmental agreements for two of its inventor clients' inventions with a New York-based company that is part of ITT's dynamic new product subscription service for manufacturers, Innovation Direct™.

The New York-based company displaying the advanced level of interest in these two items has been considered a leader in product development and commercialization for a decade, and boasts over 300 product success stories to date according to their official company website.

The company took an interest in the two concepts after receiving preliminary information on them in the latest Innovation Direct™ package of innovations sent to them by ITT Licensing. Innovation Direct™ is a dynamic new product idea subscription service for manufacturers, wherein ITT Licensing delivers information on new product ideas tailored specifically to a company's stated needs in one convenient e-mail communication.

The agreements signify that the company will be performing their due diligence over the next several weeks on the potential of the two inventions and will evaluate their possible long-term fit with their product lines. If the product ideas are deemed worthy of commercialization by the company, then ITT Licensing will enter into negotiations on a licensing agreement for each with the manufacturer.

About ITT Licensing: ITT Licensing is the trade name for International Technology Transfer, Inc., a South Florida based leader in the field of new product licensing and intellectual property transfer for more than a decade.

Contact:
Juan C. Blanco, Director of Product Licensing
International Technology Transfer, Inc.
(786) 232-6133 Voice
(305) 238-5647 Fax
press@ittlicensing.com
www.ITTLicensing.com

Gap Funds Speed Development of Unique Inventions at Florida Atlantic University

Gap Funds Speed Development of Unique Inventions at Florida Atlantic University

BOCA RATON, Fla., March 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Florida Atlantic
University received a second round of funding from the Florida Atlantic
Research & Development Authority (Authority) in the amount of $50,000 to
continue to help fill the "gap" between basic research and the stage at
which commercial development can begin. FAU received initial funding of
$50,000 in late 2006 from the Authority, the operating agency for the FAU
Research Parks in Boca Raton and Deerfield Beach, Florida. The gap funds
are intended to translate university research into viable products or
services for the benefit of the public either through licensing the
inventions to existing companies or creating new companies to commercialize
the research results.

"So many vital discoveries come from universities," said Bob Swindell,
board

chair of the Authority. "We are extremely pleased that our support is

creating a strong momentum in the commercial development of FAU
technologies

and furthering the mission of the Authority by encouraging economic

development of our region."


Recipients of the FAU gap funds to date include:


* Dr. Ravi Shankar, professor, College of Engineering and Computer
Science, for a technology which reduces power dissipation in cell phones
using a novel mobile architecture and high speed scalable multiplier.

* Dr. Hari Kalva, assistant professor, College of Engineering and
Computer Science, for the development of a video transcoder to more
efficiently convert MPEG-2 videos to H.264, the latest video compression
standard. Kalva received a second gap award for a video encoder that
reduces the computing power required for high-quality video which will
improve performance of mobile devices, video telephony and H.264
high-definition video for personal computers.

* Dr. Yoshimi Shibata, associate professor, Charles E. Schmidt College
of Biomedical Science, for a unique process using micro-particles derived
from the exoskeleton of crabs, shrimp, insects and the cell wall of fungi
to enhance protective immunity against infectious agents. A Japanese-based
company which may serve as a potential commercial partner for this
patent-pending technology provided Shibata with matching funds.

* Dr. Guodong Sui, assistant professor, Charles E. Schmidt College of
Science, for an integrated microfluidic histology chip he designed to
provide real time, high throughput, highly specific detection of cancer
biomarkers for early and precise cancer diagnosis. This enabling technology
can also be used for diagnosis of other diseases from bodily fluids and
tissues.

* Dr. Herbert Weissbach, director of the Center for Molecular Biology
and Biotechnology and distinguished professor, Charles E. Schmidt College
of Science, for a compound he developed as a chemo-protective agent and to
shield skin against ultraviolet light, type B (UVB) damage. CHS Resources
LLC previously entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with FAU to
commercialize the compound for the prevention and treatment of skin, oral
and other cancers. As a result of the gap fund award, CHS and FAU are
finalizing an exclusive agreement for the chemo-protective agent that will
be targeted for use in sunscreen lotions and cosmetics. In addition to the
gap fund award, Weissbach received $25,000 in matching funds from the Hahn
Foundation and Dr. Elliott Hahn, former Andrx founder, president, CEO and
chairman of the board.

"FAU is among an elite group of universities nationally that currently
have gap funds to help increase the number of innovations that originate in
universities and enter the marketplace," said Dr. Ramaswamy Narayanan,
associate dean for research and industrial relations in the Charles E.
Schmidt College of Science at FAU and a member of the gap fund review
committee. "Commercialization of research is an integral part of a
university's increasingly important role to contribute to local economic
development."

FAU faculty, researchers and students compete for gap funds through a
request for proposal (RFP) process which requires proof-of-concept,
prototype development and commercial feasibility. Awards are made
semi-annually, and funding is limited to a maximum of $15,000 per award.
The gap fund program committee composed of industry and business leaders in
various fields, including a representative from the Authority, review and
select recipients of the awards.

"The gap fund is already yielding positive results for FAU in the early
stages of this program," said Stephen Nappi, director of technology
transfer at FAU. "In addition to matching funds, this program has generated
three new inventions, contributions from individual donors and four
prospective industry partnerships to commercialize these discoveries."

FAU formed the Florida Atlantic Research & Development Authority in
1986 with the support of the Broward and Palm Beach county commissions. The
Authority serves as the governing body responsible for the establishment of
the Research Park at FAU and works closely with the university and
prospective tenants for the Park.

- FAU -

Florida Atlantic University opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth
public university in Florida. Today, the University serves more than 26,000
undergraduate and graduate students on seven campuses strategically located
along 150 miles of Florida's southeastern coastline. Building on its rich
tradition as a teaching university, with a world-class faculty, FAU hosts
ten colleges: College of Architecture, Urban & Public Affairs, Dorothy F.
Schmidt College of Arts & Letters, the Charles E. Schmidt College of
Biomedical Science, the Barry Kaye College of Business, the College of
Education, the College of Engineering & Computer Science, the Harriet L.
Wilkes Honors College, the Graduate College, the Christine E. Lynn College
of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science.

Lawyers herald software patent victory

Symbian ruling could boost UK software development

IT Week Staff, IT Week 19 Mar 2008

Leading law firms have heralded a recent High Court ruling as a "major boost " for the UK's software industry.

Smartphone operating system maker Symbian brought the case to the High Court, after the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) reject one of its patent applications.

Following the appeal hearing, the judge upheld Symbian’s claim that the IPO was wrong to reject applications for software-based innovations.

UK lawyers have been wrangling over the contentious issue of the ability patent software development for some time. Recent rulings had suggested that software-related inventions were not patentable quite simply because they were programs for computers.

In his judgment Mr Justice Patten noted that the UK-IPO's decision in this case illustrates the divide which exists between the UK-IPO and the European Patent Office (EPO) about how the patentability of inventions involving computer programs is assessed. Although the UK-IPO refused Symbian’s patent application, the EPO has granted Symbian a patent for its invention.

"Before today’s ruling I would have been able to patent a new software algorithm which makes my kitchen toaster work better, but not an algorithm which improves how my computer works, despite the fact many people sit and use computers at work all day every day. This ruling now goes some way to help improve this situation," said Nick Wallin, patent attorney at Withers & Rogers, who acted for Symbian during the appeal.

"This ruling has begun the catch-up process for the UK’s software industry, which can now begin to capitalise on its R&D strengths," he added.

But in a statement, the IPO said it believed the judge had no applied the so-called 'Aerotel-Macrossan' test, which was established by the Court of Appeal in a previous software patent case. It will now appeal the latest judgement and seek clarification from the Court of Appeal.

“An Appeal of this judgment is welcome, should it result in a much more cohesive treatment of software patents in the UK, and one that is more in accordance with European practice," said Dr. John Collins, Partner at Marks & Clerk.

Edu: PU Bio-Forum Exhibition-2008 from 25 March

Edu: PU Bio-Forum Exhibition-2008 from 25 March

LAHORE, Mar 18, 2008 (Asia Pulse Data Source via COMTEX) -- GEEN | news | PowerRating | PR Charts -- In connection with the 125 years celebrations of the Punjab University, PU Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB) is organizing Bio-Forum Exhibition 2008 from March 25-28. There will be 25 academia and 23 industry exhibits on the occasion.

The forums organizing committee met Monday with Vice-Chancellor Dr Mujahid Kamran in the chair. Among those who attended the meeting included CEMB Director Prof Sheikh Riazuddin, Faculty of Life Sciences Dean Prof Dr Shahida Hasnain, Chairperson of National Committee for Development of Science and High Technology for Economic Growth Dr Rozina Tufail, Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (LCCI) Chairman Mian Shahid Raza, Registrar Prof Dr Muhammad Naeem Khan, Farooq Amjad Mir and PCSIR Laboratories Director General Dr Muhammad Saleem.

Speaking on the occasion the forums Chief Organizer Prof Dr Sheikh Riazuddin said that it is the distinction of Punjab University to organize this unique forum of its kind. He said that the forum will provide a big platform to bio academia to display their inventions and innovations. Over 25 academia and 23 industry exhibits would be showcased on the occasion besides arrangements for discussions between researchers and industrialists on the modem bio-products.

Dr Riazuddin hoped that over 10 agreements will be signed between the academics and the industrialists on the occasion. He said the forum is organized by PU CEMB after every two years and in bio-forum 2006, seven agreements were made out of which two matured and processed successfully.

He said by arranging this forum the PU has provided a big platform for universities and industry to get maximum benefits from the latest researches and inventions, and to get output from these researches at industrial level. He said that the participant universities and organizations would display their best products in the show along with their inventions profile.

Farooq Amjad Mir, a renowned lawyer and politician, who is special member of organizing committee said that varsities can generate funds at their own by organizing such forums. He said a proper media strategy should be evolved to promote such productive and developmental activities. Mir offered all out cooperation in organizing this forum and also offered free advocacy and legal services to the Punjab University administration regarding patent and intellectual rights issues.

Dr Rozina Tufail emphasized upon the need of preparing a database of Punjab University professors and researchers for their active collaboration with the industry besides professors frequent visits to the industries concerned. Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran praised Dr Riazuddins services for Punjab University as well as the country and said that he had established such a wonderful and productive institution in the Punjab University which is contributing to international development.

He said the forum would help practical utilization of various bio inventions because a large number of industrialists would be present on the occasion. Forum Schedule: Governor Punjab Lt Gen (retd) Khalid Maqbool will inaugurate the forum on March 24 at 10:00 am and the launching ceremony would be followed by a forensic training course. Bio Symposium I would be held at 2:00 pm on the same day. On Tuesday March 25 exhibition and closing of forensic training course would be held and on Wednesday March 26 Molecular Biology Symposium would be held at 9:00 am.

On Thursday March 27 workshops on patents and Bt cotton and DNA for Justice would be held at 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm respectively. On March 25, closing ceremony of Forensic Training Course and Biotechnology Symposium and Molecular Biology Symposium would be held.

Biotechnology Needs 21st Century Patent System, Expert Argues

ScienceDaily (Mar. 17, 2008) — Biotechnology discoveries -- like the method for creating synthetic life forms -- are at risk of being unduly hindered or taken hostage by private corporations unless patent systems are brought into the 21st century, an expert from The Australian National University argues.

Dr Matthew Rimmer from the ANU College of Law takes a broad look at the current state of international regulation around intellectual property rights and biological inventions in his new book -- and the prognosis is far from healthy.

"Most patent systems around the world were developed during the industrial revolution, which means they're ill equipped to deal with more complex range of inventions arising out of life sciences -- things like man-made micro-organisms, GM plants, the human genome and stem cells," Dr Rimmer says.

Dr Rimmer says that patent systems provide protections around inventions provided they satisfy criteria to do with novelty, an inventive step and utility. But he argues that such legal tools are not nuanced enough for biotechnical innovation, where inventions can be at once more intellectually subtle and morally ambiguous.

"When it comes to biotechnology, our antiquated patent systems can have detrimental consequences -- either hampering the freedom of researchers to take full advantage of experimental use and the possibilities for innovation, or giving a lot of control over living things to a very small group of people."

Dr Rimmer laments the rise of 'patent trolls' -- companies that take out patents on very slight biotechnical innovations, and then hold other researchers to ransom if they attempt to make any progress in that particular area.

On the other hand, he acknowledges the legal and ethical complexities surrounding the actions of scientists like those at the J. Craig Venter Institute in the US, who are trying to patent the method for creating a synthetic life-form. While the organism involved is incredibly simple, Dr Rimmer says such moves could lead to patents being taken out on much more complex living things.

Dr Rimmer argues that in order to provide more incentives and protections for scientific innovation, there needs to be greater scope in Australia and elsewhere for challenges to patent applications. He also says there is a need for a broader legal defence of experimentation. Finally, Dr Rimmer argues that thresholds need to be raised to make it harder to get a patent, which would be a blow to 'patent trolls'.

Adapted from materials provided by Australian National University.

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Australian National University (2008, March 17). Biotechnology Needs 21st Century Patent System, Expert Argues. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 18, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2008/03/080317094855.htm