Before the Bayh-Dole Act was passed in 1980, the billions of federal dollars sp
ent on scientific research rarely benefited the public through commercial applications. Fewer than 5 percent of government patents were licensed to industry. To push patents into practical use, the law set up a scheme for awarding the rights to institutions, like universities, that have incentive to bring inventions to market.
Since 1980, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for example, has been granted control of 3,673 patents. A recent study found that companies started by M.I.T.’s graduates, faculty and staff generate annual world sales of $2 trillion.
In a 7-to-2 decision this week, the Supreme Court undermined the act’s purpose by ruling that it does not automatically give a university title to an invention by a faculty member when the research is federally financed.
To read the full, original article click on this link: The Fair Rewards of Invention - NYTimes.com
