Intellectual property influences the course of academic research, though its terminology and processes are not always intuitive for researchers. This panel will provide an overview of the forms of IP most relevant in academic settings, with particular emphasis on patents. Panelists will consider how inventorship differs from authorship, outline the criteria that indicate when a project outcome may warrant disclosure, and discuss how copyright and related protections complement patents in disciplines beyond science and engineering. The conversation will also trace the path from filing to prosecution, highlighting the role of external counsel in helping inventors navigate a system that must balance scholarly communication with the preservation of rights for broader application.