Intellectual Property Ownership at MIT: Innovation & Collaboration

Who owns the intellectual property that comes out of your research or coursework at MIT? This session will clarify IP ownership policies and explain how rights are determined when collaborating with faculty, peers, or external sponsors. We’ll also connect these principles to the broader entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem, highlighting the implications of IP ownership for students engaged in programs like Sandbox, I-Corps, and UROP. Whether you’re developing a new technology or considering future commercialization, you’ll leave with practical guidance to help you properly protect your ideas and collaborate confidently across campus.

About the Speakers

Jonathan Hromi, Associate Director of Intellectual Property

Jonathan Hromi leads the IP administration group at the MIT TLO. He is a patent attorney and has earned a BA degree in Biology from Johns Hopkins University, a Juris Doctor and Masters of Business Administration from Case Western Reserve University. Prior to joining the TLO, Mr. Hromi worked as an intellectual property consultant at IP Capital Group, Director of IP Strategy at Fidelity Investments, and Head of Data and Analytics at Carneros Bay.
 

Caroline Basque, IPIA-JIA & Trademark Manager

Caroline graduated with a BA from Boston University in 2008 and received her Juris Doctor from Suffolk Law School in 2013 where she wrote on the Suffolk Transnational Law Review and competed in moot court competitions. Prior to law school, Caroline was a patent paralegal at a large international firm. Upon graduation from law school, Caroline completed a two-year judicial clerkship with the Probate and Family Court where she assisted the court in drafting numerous decisions. After her clerkship, Caroline practiced litigation in both the public and private sectors appearing regularly before the court.