Guidance

Easy Access Intellectual Property

As part of Dstl's commitment to improving access to technologies, we're making some of our intellectual property (IP) available for free.

From:
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
Published
5 February 2015
Last updated
22 December 2021 — See all updates

How Easy Access IP works

Easy Access IP is a licencing approach formalised by Glasgow University, King’s College London and Bristol University and has seen growing adoption among other UK and foreign universities. Dstl is the first UK government organisation to adopt the Easy Access IP scheme.

Easy Access IP offers certain technologies for free, in combination with a simple licence agreement. There are no licence fees or royalties but licensees will be required to pay for the ongoing patent costs.

For Dstl the scheme offers an opportunity to build relationships within industry and provides a mechanism to release technology to those who may be able to further develop it.

For industry it creates an opportunity to commercialise Dstl technologies, but at a reduced risk. It also allows exchange of knowledge between government and external organisations.

Technologies available through Easy Access IP are usually considered to be a low technical readiness for commercialisation; with limited funding this means Dstl are not always able to develop it. The intellectual property available, usually includes patent rights and/or software, but can be other forms of intellectual property too. By offering the licences for free, Dstl is able to see the technology potentially come to market and create an impact.

Conditions

If you license technology through our Easy Access IP scheme, you will need to:

  • inform Dstl of your plans to commercialise the technology
  • acknowledge the IP was originally developed by Dstl
  • sign the one-page licence agreement (PDF, 122 KB, 2 pages)
  • pay ongoing patent costs; Dstl can provide indicative costs for patents, which will be invoiced in UK pounds sterling

Read the full associated terms and conditions (PDF, 265 KB, 4 pages)

You can also license Dstl’s IP through our technology transfer company, Ploughshare Innovations.

Portfolio

The following technologies are available through Dstl’s Easy Access IP scheme.

Antenna technologies

Biomedical technologies

Protection technologies

Tools and testing

Other

We are happy to discuss licensing of any of our technologies where appropriate, not just the ones listed above.

Next steps

To find out more about the scheme or a particular technology, simply contact us at dstleasyip@dstl.gov.uk

Updates to this page

Published 5 February 2015
Last updated 22 December 2021 + show all updates

  1. Updated list of technologies available to license.

  2. Removed two case studies which are no longer part of the portfolio

  3. Added 2 new case studies

  4. Removal of text.

  5. New licensing opportunity added: Cyber card game for training

  6. New factsheets uploaded

  7. Three new Easy Access IP technologies available for licence added

  8. Some details in the Dstl Easy Access IP Portfolio updated

  9. Respirator technology added.

  10. Updated with new technology: Deployable radio antenna

  11. Added 2 new technologies: Instantaneous compact-wideband antenna and A compact wideband antenna.

  12. Added new Easy Access IP technology: synthetic skin

  13. Added video on Easy Access IP

  14. First published.

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