Los Alamos National Laboratory has a stockpile of patents covering technologies with untapped commercial potential, as well as a portfolio of copyright-protected software it wants to share with businesses that can translate these assets into private-sector jobs.

LANL’s Richard P. Feynman Center for Innovation is tasked with moving Los Alamos technology to the marketplace to stimulate private sector growth. Although the Laboratory’s primary mission is national security, its technologies often have multiple applications in industrial and consumer markets. Los Alamos issues licenses to various entities ranging from start-ups to multinational companies.

In return for a small license fee and/or royalty, a business gains the right to make or use a patented technology in the design or manufacture of a commercial product or service offering. Certain software packages are offered — including those available under fee-based licenses, as well as some tools that may be downloaded at no cost — under open source licenses or executable downloads.

When fees exist they are minor compared to what a business would pay to obtain and maintain its own patent, and they help LANL cover the steep cost of patent maintenance over the life of the patent. The license is nonexclusive — unless the licensee wants to negotiate terms and costs exclusively. The license enables the licensee to legally practice the invention covered by the patent or utilize the software protected by the copyright. See types of licenses here.

“The license process is straightforward and enables a licensee to obtain quick access to the tools for rapid problem-solving and bottom-line impact within their company,” said Kathleen McDonald, Feynman Center Division Leader, when she served as software manager.

The laboratory has over 100 technologies (patents and software) available for licensing. A comprehensive list of the lab’s issued U.S. patents and software packages can be found on the Feynman Center website, where viewers will find tech snapshots like this that describe the technology and the market. For a visual treat, watch the videos that demonstrate how some of LANL’s technology is being used to achieve multiple benefits.