&quot;from UCLA&quot;. That might mean the researchers intend to apply for a patent on behalf of the university via their technology licensing office or similar, because most universities don&#x27;t permit individuals to apply for patents solely in their name for research done using university resources. Whether or not the university actually wants to pursue the patent application it is another story.<p>It&#x27;s conceivable that they may want to use said patent to spin-off a startup or do something else with it. However, I agree with you that I do not think it is a trap. As a general rule it&#x27;s very, very bad to be sneaky in academia and once you publish anything it&#x27;s pretty standard that you should be open about your intentions regarding already-published work.