Although Stanford’s recent foray into online education has been met with praise from both faculty and students alike, faculty have raised concerns surrounding intellectual property rights in this space.
As stated on its website, the OTL’s mission is to “promote the transfer of Stanford technology for society’s use and benefit while generating unrestricted income to support research and education.”
The implication of Stanford’s patent policy is that any patentable invention implemented “in whole or in part by members of the faculty or staff of the University” will have to be licensed through the OTL. This holds true for research supported by any funding source–University or otherwise.
President Hennessy has just established an immediate, clear and reasonable standard that will undoubtedly lead to improved awareness, treatment and reduced incidence of sexual assault and violence on Stanford’s campus. At the same time, it is imperative, immediately, for ASSU to do what Viviana Arcia recommends in her op-ed (which everyone should read): make the reasonable standard of proof a Constitutional revision “priority.”
The fight between Stanford and biotechnology firm Roche Holdings AG is heating up as the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear the patent dispute. The lawsuit could upset current interpretations of the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980, which defines the ownership of patents that arise from research at federally funded institutions.