Author Archives: Gerald Barnett

Vannever Bush on the control of scientists

Posted on January 25, 2019 by Gerald Barnett

Here’s Vannever Bush on the institutional desire to control scientists: There is nothing more deadly than control of the activities of scientists and engineers by men who do not really understand, but think they do or must at least give … Continue reading →

Posted in Freedom, Innovation, Vannever Bush | Tagged , | Comments Off on Vannever Bush on the control of scientists

Another NIST FAQ-up, 2

Posted on January 24, 2019 by Gerald Barnett

For the rest of NIST’s FAQ’d-up answer, let’s parse closely. NIST has just repeated the obvious–if an invention has been conceived and reduced to practice prior to federal funding, it is not a subject invention. The question, however, has to … Continue reading →

Posted in Bayh-Dole, Bozonet | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Another NIST FAQ-up, 2

Another NIST FAQ-up, 1

Posted on January 23, 2019 by Gerald Barnett

NIST doesn’t understand Bayh-Dole. Let’s take another look at their mind-numbing FAQ. Here’s the question NIST asks: Does an invention need to be reported if it was conceived before an award but reduced to practice as part of the award? This … Continue reading →

Posted in Bayh-Dole | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Another NIST FAQ-up, 1

Pensé and Perspectivability-2

Posted on January 22, 2019 by Gerald Barnett

I have been writing about my sense of perspective–something not possible in an infinite university, according to the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Though I have worked at and for universities in technology transfer for a couple of decades, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Bayh-Dole, Bozonet, Technology Transfer | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Pensé and Perspectivability-2

Pensé and Perspectivability-1

Posted on January 21, 2019 by Gerald Barnett

Some of you may have noticed that over the years I have grown more critical of the Bayh-Dole Act and especially of the people who prop it up with various forms of bluffery. The law is based on failed policy … Continue reading →

Posted in Bayh-Dole, History, Technology Transfer | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Pensé and Perspectivability-1

The VA gets a bit of Bayh-Dole

Posted on January 20, 2019 by Gerald Barnett

The Department of Veteran’s Affairs produced a template Cooperative Technology (Inventions) Administration Agreement available at a web site called Agreement Sample.  The template is modeled on a CRADA agreement, but instead of research, the agreement concerns the administration of inventions made … Continue reading →

Posted in Bayh-Dole | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The VA gets a bit of Bayh-Dole

Administrative lupus

Posted on January 19, 2019 by Gerald Barnett

I while ago I wrote an article on some suggestions for changing Bayh-Dole. The first suggestion was to add a research “exemption.” The authors–one a former senior university patent administrator from a very big university–were well meaning, and perhaps there … Continue reading →

Posted in Bayh-Dole, Patents, Technology Transfer | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Administrative lupus

These are not the investors Congress was looking for

Posted on January 18, 2019 by Gerald Barnett

Universities routinely assign federally funded inventions to companies. They do so under the cover of an exclusive patent license, expecting that they won’t get caught. There are two kinds of exclusive license. In one, a true exclusive license, the licensee … Continue reading →

Posted in Bayh-Dole, Bozonet | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on These are not the investors Congress was looking for

Peace measures

Posted on January 17, 2019 by Gerald Barnett

In 1917, in the United States, six million people suffered from syphilis. The only drug that offered some relief at the time was an arsenic compound made in Germany called salvarsan. The United States entered the first world war against … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Policy | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Peace measures

Bayh-Dole inventor disclosure summary

Posted on January 16, 2019 by Gerald Barnett

Let’s summarize. Bayh-Dole does not require inventors to disclose inventions arising in federally supported research or development. It’s just not there. Go look. I’ll wait. Bayh-Dole does not require inventors to give up rights to their inventions.  It’s not there. … Continue reading →

Posted in Bayh-Dole, Bozonet | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Bayh-Dole inventor disclosure summary