Tech transfer CNRS subsidiary - From Research to Innovation since 1992

CNRS, acting on its behalf and on behalf of other French research organizations funded by the French Government, is managing certain patents which may, or may not, be relevant to one or more proposals submitted to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardization process.

CNRS is committed to enabling a broad development of efficient solutions based on this upcoming standard. CNRS is also determined to provide fair and reasonable compensation to the research organizations that contributed to the patents. Such compensation is dedicated to be reallocated to public research laboratories in order to continue their fundamental research programs.

Should a standard be adopted by NIST as a result of the Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardization process, and should any claims of the aforementioned patents be declared to be essential and necessary for the implementation of the Standard, then any party would have the right to use such patent claims to implement and fully comply with the Standard, according to the following terms:
•  CNRS will not assert any of the Patents against any party for making a non-commercial use of the Standard. Non-commercial use shall include academic research, learning and non-revenue generating services and products.
•  CNRS will license the Patents to any party generating revenue by using the Standard to make, sell, use, import, or offer for sale products and/or services. Such license agreements will be granted under transparent, royalty-bearing, fair, reasonable, non-discriminatory terms (“FRAND terms”). Such terms will be detailed and published in the upcoming months.