Category Archives: Technology Transfer

The University of Pittsburgh’s Fake News Summary of Bayh-Dole, 3

Posted on September 18, 2017 by Gerald Barnett

We are working through the fake history published by the University of Pittsburgh regarding the Bayh-Dole Act and its “key provisions.” “Fake” is too light a word for it, but it’s trendy and so people get the general idea. Really, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bayh-Dole, Bozonet, History, Policy, Technology Transfer | Comments Off on The University of Pittsburgh’s Fake News Summary of Bayh-Dole, 3

The University of Pittsburgh’s Fake News Summary of Bayh-Dole, 2

Posted on September 15, 2017 by Gerald Barnett

We are working through the University of Pittsburgh’s account of the Bayh-Dole Act since AUTM has called it out as worth reading. We need to pause and consider some real history to work out of our imaginations the fake history … Continue reading →

Posted in Bayh-Dole, Bozonet, History, Policy, Technology Transfer | Comments Off on The University of Pittsburgh’s Fake News Summary of Bayh-Dole, 2

The University of Pittsburgh’s Fake News Summary of Bayh-Dole, 1

Posted on September 14, 2017 by Gerald Barnett

AUTM a few weeks ago pointed favorably to a description of the Bayh-Dole Act posted by the University of Pittsburgh. Let’s have a look, then. The post is titled “What It Means for Technology Commercialization.” While “It” is ominous in … Continue reading →

Posted in Bayh-Dole, Bozonet, History, Policy, Technology Transfer | Comments Off on The University of Pittsburgh’s Fake News Summary of Bayh-Dole, 1

Getting off your UFRDA

Posted on September 12, 2017 by Gerald Barnett

In 1981, Senator Harrison Schmidt introduced a bill to replace Bayh-Dole with a more general law regarding inventions made with federal support, the “Uniform Federal Research and Development Act of 1981.” It doesn’t appear that the university patent brokers had … Continue reading →

Posted in Bayh-Dole, History, Technology Transfer | Comments Off on Getting off your UFRDA

Discovery and Discovery Management, 2

Posted on September 7, 2017 by Gerald Barnett

University administrators, too, have oriented their institutions to take advantage of federal funding. Somehow, federal funding increases (to the administrative mind) a university’s prestige, and that prestige then can support raising tuition or getting more funding from state sources and … Continue reading →

Posted in Freedom, Social Science, Sponsored Research, Technology Transfer | Comments Off on Discovery and Discovery Management, 2

Discovery and Discovery Management, 1

Posted on September 6, 2017 by Gerald Barnett

How do we discover? That’s a question that keeps coming up in my mind. There are books around that work at this point–to point to some recent examples, Ashton’s How to Fly a Horse, Kauffman’s Investigations, Johnson’s Where Good Ideas … Continue reading →

Posted in Freedom, Policy, Social Science, Sponsored Research, Technology Transfer | Comments Off on Discovery and Discovery Management, 1

Penn State’s Protection Racket, 23: Conflict of Interest

Posted on August 30, 2017 by Gerald Barnett

Penn State’s conflict of interest policy, HR91, discusses requirements on “faculty and staff members”: In their dealings with and on behalf of the University, they shall be held to a strict rule of honest and fair dealings between themselves and … Continue reading →

Posted in Bozonet, Policy, Technology Transfer | Comments Off on Penn State’s Protection Racket, 23: Conflict of Interest

Penn State’s Protection Racket, 22: Agency

Posted on August 29, 2017 by Gerald Barnett

For all the talk about conflict of  interest in Penn State policies, Penn State does have a policy, HR91, that directly addresses conflict of interest. It’s odd that administrators can’t seem to focus their conflict of interest worries there and … Continue reading →

Posted in Freedom, Policy, Technology Transfer | Comments Off on Penn State’s Protection Racket, 22: Agency

Penn State’s Protection Racket, 19: Conflict of Commitment

Posted on August 24, 2017 by Gerald Barnett

Even with this critique we have not got to the bottom of Penn State’s policy treatment of conflict of interest/commitment as a covert IP policy. Conflicts of interest and/or commitment “exist” when someone has “preferential access” to knowledge or university … Continue reading →

Posted in Freedom, Policy, Technology Transfer | Comments Off on Penn State’s Protection Racket, 19: Conflict of Commitment

Penn State’s Protection Racket, 18: University Interests

Posted on August 23, 2017 by Gerald Barnett

Penn State’s policy on entrepreneurial activities opens with this claim: Technology transfer must be effected within the framework of an individual’s obligations to the University. Given what we have learned about Penn State’s policies on academic freedom, we might revise … Continue reading →

Posted in Policy, Technology Transfer | Comments Off on Penn State’s Protection Racket, 18: University Interests