Category Archives: Policy

The BioBrick BPA and Group Dynamics

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Gerald Barnett

The BioBricks Foundation supports a repository of “parts” for use in synthetic biology. It has implemented an interesting two-part arrangement called the BioBrick Public Agreement or BPA. This agreement aims to manage the interests of contributors and users of the … Continue reading →

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Thinking back to think ahead

Posted on May 12, 2012 by Gerald Barnett

I have added a new page to the blog, Cottrell on Patents.  There you can find Cottrell’s 1912 essay explaining why he started Research Corporation.  Also, I’ve added a link to a historical account of Cottrell’s work and Research Corporation. … Continue reading →

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Blasts from the Past

Posted on May 12, 2012 by Gerald Barnett

Here is the University of Arizona invention policy statement from 1939.  Simple voluntary approach with a breakout for expressly set out positions, with inventors owing 10% of their proceeds to the University if they are not using Research Corporation and … Continue reading →

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We are going to have the discussion anyway

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Gerald Barnett

Karen White over at Almost White Pages has good thoughts about the challenges of providing university inventors with choices about who manages their inventions.  It’s clear this is not an easy issue, and I agree with Karen that it is … Continue reading →

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You already do

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Gerald Barnett

In the Bayh-Allen view of things, university technology transfer offices do not have the capacity or resources to handle inventions other than those made by their own faculty.  This is at the heart of “this compulsory assignment business is really … Continue reading →

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What rot hath Bayh-Dole wrought?

Posted on April 28, 2012 by Gerald Barnett

What hath Bayh-Dole wrought? Or, more pointedly, what have university invention administrators done with the opportunity presented by Bayh-Dole? Over the past 30 years, university administrators have successfully: Changed a clustered federal system of patent accumulation for open release into … Continue reading →

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A map of the Atlantic

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Gerald Barnett

The Atlantic has published yet another retrenchment piece by Allen and Bayh.  At least there is no question where they stand on the matter:  comprehensive, compulsory stripping of faculty rights to inventions is the way to prosperity and should be … Continue reading →

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The Dumbest Possible Model

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Gerald Barnett

It’s hard to describe how devastating the Stanford v Roche decision is to autocracy-minded university bureaucrats.  They claimed Bayh-Dole requires university ownership. So they instituted policies that require university ownership, “to comply with Bayh-Dole”. Then they argued in Stanford v Roche … Continue reading →

Posted in Bayh-Dole, Bozonet, Commons, Policy, Present Assignment, Sponsored Research, Stanford v Roche, Technology Transfer | 1 Comment

How Bayh-Dole was used to expand university IP claims

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Gerald Barnett

I’ve put together a graphic that shows a cascade of possible places where a university and faculty might consider the matter of ownership of inventions and works of authorship. I’ve arranged things into various rows, each with a corresponding letter … Continue reading →

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A carefully crafted scheme

Posted on April 14, 2012 by Gerald Barnett

How should a federal government deal with ownership of inventions made at universities with federal support? Consider the situation that existed at the time the Bayh-Dole Act was being implemented.  Many universities did not have technology transfer offices of the … Continue reading →

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