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Category Archives: Policy
Adam Smith’s Innovation by Division of Labor
Daniel Kahneman in Thinking, Fast and Slow describes what he calls “What You See Is All There Is”: The combination of a coherence-seeking System 1 with a lazy System 2 implies that System 2 will endorse many intuitive beliefs, which … Continue reading
Posted in 3D Printing, History, Innovation, Policy
Tagged Adam Smith, division of labor, gadgeteer, Kahneman, tinkerer, warfarin
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Misunderstandings of Bayh-Dole
Sean O’Connor has written a well documented and argued article regarding the history of the Bayh-Dole Act and what he argues is a flaw in government reasoning regarding assignment practices for inventions that arises from a report written in 1947 … Continue reading
Posted in Bayh-Dole, Policy, Stanford v Roche, Technology Transfer
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Is more and more research spending the answer?
Battelle is out with a new study forecasting “Global R&D Funding” for 2014. The report covers countries and various areas of research such as biotech and energy. The findings are rather bland–the US will spend $465 billion next year on … Continue reading
Posted in Innovation, Metrics, Policy, Sponsored Research, Technology Transfer
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The Woody Guthrie Public License
Kevin Carson wrote a book a few years ago called Organizational Theory: A Libertarian Perspective. In it, he develops a number of concepts that ought to be central to university thinking about research and innovation. Carson picks up on Ronald Coase‘s question–if … Continue reading
Posted in Commons, Freedom, Innovation, Policy
Tagged closed control, fascists bound lose, Kevin Carson, open labs, public license, Woody Guthrie
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Freedman's Science & Technology Strategy Conundrums
Benoît Godin suggested that I take a look at Ron Freedman’s “10 S&T Strategy Conundrums.” I think it’s a document that a lot of folks should read. While Freedman is focused on the situation in Canada, there’s a lot for … Continue reading
Posted in Metrics, Policy, Technology Transfer
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Federal Sweep and Swamp Policy
The US government proposes spending $1b on innovation in manufacturing. If one likes government spending on such things, this sounds like a really good thing. Here is a link to the NNMI homepage overview. The preliminary design document for the … Continue reading
Posted in Innovation, Policy, Sponsored Research, Technology Transfer
Tagged linear model, manufacturing, NNMI, TRL
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University Invention Fascism
Back in the day, “totalitarian” had a meaning more akin to “holistic”–the state should take care of each of its citizens. But nice gestures are often vectors for dangerous pathogens. Universities have adopted a similar set of claims with their … Continue reading
Posted in Policy, Present Assignment
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"Effectuating" a change in university policy statements about Bayh-Dole
Here’s a passage from Rutgers’ patent policy: D. Reservation of Rights in Sponsored Research. Ownership of patents arising from work sponsored by Federal agencies shall be subject to the provisions of Public Law 96-517, the Bayh-Dole Act as amended, other … Continue reading
Posted in Bayh-Dole, Policy, Stanford v Roche
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Feynman on his patents
Richard Feynman was awarded patents. Here is a recording of an interview that describes how it all came about. You can also read about the episode in Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman? Could be academic inventions are a dime a … Continue reading
Posted in Innovation, IP, Policy
Tagged consideration, Feynman, invention, motivation, patent
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Predators in the Patent System
Stuff is happening in Washington DC, despite the loggerheads on budget and Obamacare. Chris Gallagher sends notice that Sen Hatch has introduced a new bill, SB 1612, “to combat patent trolls” as the press release describes it: WASHINGTON – U.S. … Continue reading
Posted in Policy, Technology Transfer
Tagged Hatch, patent, troll
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