The Office of Patent Management was founded on November 16, 1973, reporting to the vice president for business management. The objective of this office is to assist researchers in the complex process of transferring technology from the laboratory to use by society. The office brings in sufficient patent revenues to support all of the costs related to the prosecution of patents, and provides additional financial support to inventors and to the University.

Before the Office of Patent Management was established, patent management duties were handled by the Patents Coordinating and Advisory Committee (PCAC), reporting to the provost, although there were other organizational units in charge of various aspects of patent management, such as the Office of Sponsored Research Administration (OSRA), the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) and the Institute for Cooperative Research (ICR). ICR handled patent management during the 1950s and 1960s, while the OSRA provided administrative and clerical services for the PCAC. The Applied Physics Laboratory oversees patent management services for the Laboratory itself.

Once the Office of Patent Management became operational in 1973, the University Patent Committee was established under the direction of the Provost. This committee is responsible for policy recommendations as well as providing technical advice to the Office of Patent Management and the inventors for the consideration of patentable inventions. To assist in this advisory capacity, the committee has the authority to appoint ad hoc peer evaluation committees to assist in specialized areas of technology. The Patent Management Officer serves as an ex officio member of the University Patent Committee.

The Office of Patent Management has full authority to prosecute patents for the University. It also provides a range of alternatives to the inventor through which inventions can be patented and licensed. Services include counseling the researcher/inventor regarding patentable inventions, assistance in evaluation of inventions, preparation and prosecution of disclosure documents, preparation of appeals and appeal briefs, participation in interference proceedings, negotiation and preparation of license and confidentiality agreements, establishment and administration of royalty payments, selection and utilization of patent counsel appropriate to the areas of art, and such other activities that will contribute to an environment that encourage recognition and prosecution of patentable inventions.

Edwin T. Yates was named director of the Office of Patent Management in 1973, and he remained in that position until he retired in 1995. The Office of Patent Management presently reports to the Vice Provost for Research. Prior to 1973, there were several PCAC committee members in charge of patents, including Alfred P. Ashton, Benjamin G. Willis, E. Maxwell Sauerwein, Robert B. Pond, and Walter G. Finch. Edwin Yates was suceeded by Nina Siegler, who has been Acting Director since January of 1998, originally joining the office in 1996 as a consultant. The Office was renamed the Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) in January of 1996.