Best Practices in Tech Transfer

Licensing directors at 11 leading American research universities have released “In the Public Interest: Nine Points to Consider in Licensing University Technology,” a best-practices-style white paper summary of strategies for university-based technology transfer.  The points are:

• Point 1
  Universities should reserve the right to practice licensed inventions
  and to allow other non-profit and governmental organizations to do so
• Point 2
  Exclusive licenses should be structured in a manner that encourages technology development and use
• Point 3
  Strive to minimize the licensing of “future improvements”
• Point 4
  Universities should anticipate and help to manage technology transfer related conflicts of interest
• Point 5
  Ensure broad access to research tools
• Point 6
  Enforcement action should be carefully considered
• Point 7
  Be mindful of export regulations
• Point 8
  Be mindful of the implications of working with patent aggregators
• Point 9
  Consider including provisions that address unmet needs, such as those of neglected patient populations or geographic areas, giving particular attention to improved therapeutics, diagnostics and agricultural technologies for the developing world 

Link:  http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2007/march7/gifs/whitepaper.pdf