The Kauffman Foundation (H/T The Scientist) points to the Carolina Express Licensing Agreement (CELA) as an idea worth pursuing at other institutions. As
the Foundation outlines in a paper released this week, the CELA was
developed in a collaborative effort between University of North Carolina
faculty, technology transfer officials, and venture capitalists. A
standardized agreement runs counter to advise from the Association of
University Technology Managers, which recommends that any technology
transfer agreement must be customized due to its unique circumstances.
However, digging further into the agreement and the report, I’m not sure
the two perspectives are in great conflict with each other.
The focus of the CELA is not on agreements between existing companies and the university, but between the university and faculty seeking to form start-up companies. Some may argue that in the realm of licensing this distinction doesn’t matter that much, but I’d point out that existing companies have the potential to organize in industrial groups and otherwise exert some influence on policymakers to help make sure their interests are given appropriate consideration.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Standardized Licenses for University Research: An Idea Worth Spreading Around? « Pasco Phronesis
Author: David Bruggeman
