Author Archives: Gerald Barnett

It's all so very natural

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Gerald Barnett

Finding reasons for ownership of inventions is especially important for organizations. Organizations do not have impulses. Organizations are not passionate. Organizations are fictional persons, golems, creatures of legal incorporation. They may own, act, and carry liability, but they don’t think … Continue reading →

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Five reasons why you may want to work with your university IP office

Posted on March 13, 2011 by Gerald Barnett

While I’m not taken with compulsory ownership IP systems for American universities, there are still really good reasons to work with a university IP office, and even to want a university to own your IP. It’s all about choice, capability, … Continue reading →

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Ten ways to deal with a university compulsory IP ownership program

Posted on March 13, 2011 by Gerald Barnett

Most US universities have now moved to compulsory ownership IP policies. This is a huge mistake and is damaging American innovation and subverting the rationale for the federal government to promote university research. We will deal later with why compulsory … Continue reading →

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It just doesn't get any better…

Posted on March 11, 2011 by Gerald Barnett

University technology transfer programs now routinely advocate for policies under which the university claims ownership of inventions made by faculty and staff, and sometimes students, visiting scholars, and volunteers.  These policies then hand control of these inventions to the university … Continue reading →

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Updated Stuff

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Gerald Barnett

I have moved the Bayh-Dole Reading Group from Google Groups (where it still sits) to Google Sites, and changed the link over on the right.  I’ve also put the BDRG in a broader context, the Innovation Reading Group.  I aim … Continue reading →

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The urge to tech transfer

Posted on March 9, 2011 by Gerald Barnett

Technology transfer refers to the movement of capability from one group to another.  Three conventional forms are from a developed country to a developing country (send in the tractors, there have to be tractors); from one industry to another (wifi … Continue reading →

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Assigning the SPRC

Posted on March 9, 2011 by Gerald Barnett

Melba Kurman asks in a comment to the previous post that I discuss assignment of the SPRC in more detail. Melba has an interesting blog on university technology management, so check it out here. [The blog has been retired–but for … Continue reading →

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OMG! no OTL required!

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Gerald Barnett

An amazing consequence of the Bayh-Dole Act is that no university technology transfer office is required for its implementation.  No OTL, no affiliated research foundation, no nuthin’.   A university can operate perfectly well under standard patent rights clauses by waiving … Continue reading →

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The problem with portfolios

Posted on March 7, 2011 by Gerald Barnett

A university-based compulsory system of invention management necessarily imposes institutional claims on innovation. Invention administration comes within institutional requirements for risk management, for contracting, for consistency, and for following policies, no matter how badly conceived and how out of date … Continue reading →

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Back to the Past

Posted on March 4, 2011 by Gerald Barnett

Bayh-Dole applies to federal agencies.  It sets a uniform protocol for how they are to contract with universities for invention rights.   Everything about how Bayh-Dole reaches to universities is by way of agreements and choices.  And it is by agreements … Continue reading →

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