Recent Kauffman Proposal for More Inventor Choice Stirs Controversy at Universities; IP Advocate Poll Finds Two-Thirds of Respondents Support Inventor Choice
AUTM annual conference
NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Who should control how an invention is brought to market? Experts on both sides of this controversial topic – including IP Advocate (www.IPAdvocate.org) founder and inventor-advocate Dr. Renee Kaswan – will square off on Thursday at the Annual Meeting of the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM), to debate the role of academic researchers in commercializing their inventions.
On Thursday, March 18, 1:30 – 3 p.m., Dr. Kaswan will participate in the AUTM Debate Forum: Role of Inventors in Negotiating License Transactions. This highly anticipated session will offer perspectives on the following issues:
- Should university tech transfer offices let inventors influence the outcome of commercialization, or just keep them informed?
- What if inventors are consulting with a prospective licensee or have competing plans to form a startup?
- Should institutions be taken out of the equation and let faculty own their inventions?
These questions and more will be argued by debaters who have been outspoken on both sides of the issue: Renee Kaswan, IPAdvocate.org; Robert S. MacWright, Ph.D., J.D., Frommer Lawrence & Haug LLP; Marcel D. Mongeon, M.B.A., LL.B., Mongeon Consulting, Inc.; and Robin L. Rasor, University of Michigan. Moderating the discussion will be Jon Soderstrom, Ph.D., Yale University.
“It’s extremely important that our nation examines what’s in store for our university researchers’ most innovative ideas, and I look forward to a lively discussion about this timely issue,” said Dr. Kaswan. “Innovators and institutions march axiomatically to different drummers, finding consensus solutions won’t be easy. However, I am encouraged that the AUTM community is devoting time to this subject at its Annual Meeting, and is welcoming the inventor’s point of view in this discussion.”
In January, the Kauffman Foundation ignited a heated discussion at universities around the country by suggesting that control of research commercialization decisions should be shared with the faculty inventors responsible for the innovation. Kauffman predicts the success rate for university research translation will improve if we can introduce competition, scale and specialization to the university technology transfer system. That idea was featured as one of 10 “Breakthrough Ideas of 2010” by the Harvard Business Review. The article prompted AUTM’s president to respond with an editorial in BusinessWeek, “Defending the University Tech Transfer System.”
An informal poll conducted through February on the IP Advocate website (www.IPAdvocate.org) asked visitors to describe their position on whether or not inventors should be able to choose which agency (university-affiliated or not) they would work with to commercialize their innovations. More than two-thirds (69 percent) of respondents said they enthusiastically support or generally support inventor choice, while nearly one in five (19 percent) said they do not support this type of free market in technology licensing. Six percent said they had some reservations, and another 6 percent were undecided.
About IP Advocate
IP Advocate (www.IPAdvocate.org) is a non-profit organization that educates and empowers faculty researchers on patent rights and the process of commercialization – helping inventors protect their rights during the complex process of moving their inventions from the lab to the public marketplace. IP Advocate is a robust resource of information and best practices related to the commercialization of intellectual property. IP Advocate was founded by Dr. Renee Kaswan, inventor of Restasis® and a former research professor at the University of Georgia; and is led by executive director Rhaz Zeisler, an internationally recognized interactive media brand strategist, and former Walt Disney producer and IBM
To read the full, original article click on this link: AUTM Debate Tackles Issue at Center of Innovation – What Role Should Researchers Play in Commercializing Their Inventions? IP Advocate Founder Debates University Licensing Pros | Business Wire
Author: Press Release
