Category Archives: Technology Transfer

Reef or Trench? University research and open access to results

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Gerald Barnett

There is a petition on-line asking the President to require the posting of “published results” of federally funded research on-line for public access.   A story about it is here.  The effort is led by John Wilbanks, who previously led Science … Continue reading →

Posted in Commons, Innovation, Policy, Technology Transfer | Comments Off on Reef or Trench? University research and open access to results

Coolangatta IP

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Gerald Barnett

Traditional knowledge encompasses the information possessed and developed within a community.  Such knowledge arises and is used to inform the activities of the community–it is “traditional” in this way.  The authors of a AAAS handbook, in a discussion of TK, … Continue reading →

Posted in Commons, History, Policy, Social Science, Technology Transfer | Comments Off on Coolangatta IP

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 →

Posted in Agreements, Commons, Policy, Present Assignment, Technology Transfer | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The BioBrick BPA and Group Dynamics

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 →

Posted in History, Policy, Technology Transfer | Comments Off on Thinking back to think ahead

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 →

Posted in Bayh-Dole, History, Policy, Stanford v Roche, Technology Transfer | Comments Off on Blasts from the Past

No-troll covenants

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Gerald Barnett

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 →

Posted in History, IP, Technology Transfer | Comments Off on No-troll covenants

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 →

Posted in Bayh-Dole, Policy, Technology Transfer | Comments Off on We are going to have the discussion anyway

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 →

Posted in Policy, Technology Transfer | Comments Off on You already do

Research patent price setting as pro-innovation

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Gerald Barnett

Here is an insightful piece of work on new approaches to patent licensing for universities. Jonathan Hillel, “Legal Trubulence after Leegin: New Possibilities for Patent Licensing at Research Institutions.” Hillel looks at anti-trust issues related to price setting and argues … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology Transfer | Comments Off on Research patent price setting as pro-innovation

Non-technology transfer exploitation of university patents

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Gerald Barnett

Jon Brodkin at Ars Technica reports on a patent dispute between Yahoo and Facebook.  Yahoo filed a patent infringement case against Facebook in March, and now Facebook has acquired 10 patents from patent accumulators–otherwise called trolls or non-operating entities–to assert … Continue reading →

Posted in IP, Technology Transfer | Comments Off on Non-technology transfer exploitation of university patents