Category Archives: IP

University patent policies as covert non-compete covenants

I have been looking at laws regarding non-compete covenants.  A non-compete agreement aims to prevent a worker from accepting other work that would compete with his or her employer or business partner.  In employment situations, this might include non-solicitation of … Continue reading

Posted in Agreements, Freedom, IP, Policy | 1 Comment

Three Innovation Propositions of the Moloch-State

As American public universities ramp up their claims to own faculty inventions, software, works of authorship, and even know-how, all in the name of profit-seeking from “commercialization”–by which they mean something along the lines of “making money when speculative monopolists … Continue reading

Posted in Bayh-Dole, Freedom, IP, Policy, Present Assignment | 1 Comment

Extending Affiliates Programs

“Affiliates programs” are generally donation-based financial support programs for university departments and schools.  In exchange for a membership fee, an affiliate program participant gets various premiums–invitations to research reviews, open houses, and job fairs; access to university labs and faculty … Continue reading

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If Siri were free of rights, would there be a Siri?

Here is another article out today, from Peter Cohan, arguing that the US patent system should be scrapped.  Are we are well past being able to reform it?  Cohan’s five reasons don’t include regulatory capture, market inefficiencies, the march to … Continue reading

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The Basic Premise of University Invention Management

Use = Success There’s really not much to add.  Infringement is not an option.

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On Deliberately Weak IP Rhetorics

I mentioned Boldrin and Levine’s argument against patents.  Their paper (it is posted but labeled a draft) is very uneven, moving between dubious assertions and insightful analysis.  Lurking over their discussion, though they do not acknowledge it, is Teece’s paper … Continue reading

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Patent Abolition

John Gruber at Daring Fireball draws attention to an article in the The Atlantic by Jordan Weissmann who reports on a paper from the Federal Reserve by Michele Boldrin and David K. Levine arguing for the abolition of patents. The … Continue reading

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AAUP on University-Industry Relationships

The AAUP has released a working draft of a set of principles for university-industry relationships.  The text lays out a set of recommendations with regard to intellectual property, research contracting and strategic partnerships, and conflict of interest.  The AAUP is … Continue reading

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More Evidence in the Wild

Here is another example in the wild of the mischaracterization of Bayh-Dole.  This is a document that offers a “Brief Guide to Intellectual Property in a University Context”.   My point is to document how Bayh-Dole has been represented by university … Continue reading

Posted in Bayh-Dole, IP, Policy, Stanford v Roche | Comments Off on More Evidence in the Wild

No-troll covenants

Twitter has announced an Innovator’s Patent Agreement (thanks for the link, Steve) that gives inventors some rights that run with any assignment of patents on their inventions.   Inventors retain a right license with right to sublicense in the event that … Continue reading

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