The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of technology commercialization on researcher practice and productivity at U.S. universities. Using data drawn from licensing contract documents and databases of university-industry linkages and faculty research output, the study findings suggest that the common practice of licensing…

Since the 1980 passage of the US Bayh-Dole Act, academic technology transfer has gained profile globally as a key component of knowledge-driven economic development. Research universities are seen as key contributors. In this article, focusing on the USA and drawing on over twenty years of experience in the field of academic technology transfer in…

The author presents an investigation of patent-application filings made without external financial support, or "at-risk", based on inventions disclosed to the University of California from fiscal years 1991 to 2000. The success of the at-risk patent applications filed on these invention disclosures is examined from the perspective of…

The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University has created a profitable program for commercializing student and faculty research, investing with three venture-capital companies that agreed to pay extra attention to the university's technological innovations and developing an office park to promote local economic development and generate…

Intellectual property issues affecting the use of university research results include faculty reluctance to discuss research before publication, retention of patent rights, faculty consulting ethics, commercial success, and financial support. (Journal availability: 1155 E. 60th St., Chicago, IL 60637, $1.00.) (MSE)

The recent increased awareness of the importance to our economy of innovation and the development of new technologies has been coupled with the crafting of new legislation to increase the level of intellectual property protection available to innovators. Because one of the key methods of encouraging the efficient use of intellectual property is…

Specific reference is made in the Constitution of the United States to the need for protection of intellectual property rights. Later, Madison explored the problem again in the "Federalist" and in a letter to Thomas Jefferson. The present-day argument against protection of these individual rights is not directed against the government's…

Issues in the ownership of academic research results and the relationship of industry to the academic institution performing research it has funded are examined and summarized in five paradoxes. (MSE)

Over the past 20 years, the number of patents assigned to universities has increased dramatically. This increase coincided with several policy initiatives, such as the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980, designed to foster technology transfer between universities and the private sector. This paper examines the effect of such policies using an institutional…

A discussion of legal aspects of college faculty efforts to profit from their research activities considers whether judicially acknowledged distinctions between faculty's academic and personal pursuits will apply in such cases of commercialization. Implications for increased regulation of core institutional and faculty activities are examined.…

The Constitution of the United States specifically addresses the question of intellectual property rights. This provision is not only noble but also practical, since it recognizes that the whole of society is best served when the creators are singled out and given special treatment. In the process of industrialization of this country, resources…

Some authorities on technolgoy transfer feel that industry is not fully capitalizing on the inventive output of universities and nonprofit organizations. From the point of view of the government, the stakes are high. The magnitude of federal support of research and development in these organizations demands evidence of useful results if it is to…

Discusses the issue of American universities earning revenue from royalties and licensing agreements. Describes the history, present state, marketing, and concerns associated with this issue. (YP)