The Bayh-Dole Coalition

LISTEN: Joseph Allen, Executive Director of The Bayh-Dole Coalition, was featured in an interview on Federal News Network's "The Federal Drive with Thomas Temin," where they discussed the National Science Foundation (NSF)'s recent proposed intellectual property options. "Before leaving office, the Biden administration proposed new guidelines for licensing inventions funded by the National Science Foundation. Joe Allen, executive director of the Bayh-Dole Coalition, says the proposed rules exceed the NSF’s authority. And that they thicken bureaucracy and micromanage the whole thing." "Nothing is coming out the other end because they’ve destroyed the incentives needed for commercialization. So that, in a nutshell, is the problem... no knock on NSF, but this is a Washington solution in search of a problem." "[The Bayh-Dole Coalition has] industry members, university members, venture capitalists, manufacturers, small companies, large companies, basically anybody who is working in the space. And again, one of the successes of Bayh-Dole is that because of the law, universities and companies are working very successfully to turn these into new products. We’re leading the world and doing it." Listen to the interview and/or read the transcript below: https://lnkd.in/e4GRrskh #BayhDole #policy #law #legislation #Congress #research #technology #techtransfer #NSF #science #medicine #patent #innovation

READ: 2024 American Innovator Awardee Dr. Rachel Dorin recently published a piece in RealClearMarkets explaining how startups drive U.S. innovation -- and why the Bayh-Dole system is foundational to entrepreneurial success: "Inventors bridge the gap between initial breakthrough and usable product through a process of constant innovation. But this doesn't happen by accident. The United States is one of the most innovative countries in the world thanks to a well-designed system of intellectual property law, which encourages entrepreneurs to keep driving technology to tangibly improve the world around them." "Venture capital is vitally important for helping launch businesses like mine, TeraPore Technologies, Inc. To attract investment, companies have to prove their worth and earning potential -- and often the most valuable things a startup owns are secure patents. These ensure that, should a product succeed, the company will have a period of market exclusivity during which to recoup expenditures and turn a profit." "Without the foundation of Bayh-Dole, attracting venture capital would become nearly impossible, as investors would be unwilling to fund ideas based on patents that could be abrogated at any moment." Read the full op-ed below: https://lnkd.in/eVGvhMHU #BayhDole #BayhDoleFOAI #policy #law #legislation #Congress #research #technology #techtransfer #startup #science #medicine #patent #innovation

Check out our new infographic on the transformational impact of the Bayh-Dole Act and academic technology transfer! "Preserving the integrity of the Bayh-Dole Act is critical to advancing U.S. leadership in innovation and safeguarding American economic growth and security." "One of America’s greatest strengths is forming startup companies that drive economic growth and innovation. The Bayh-Dole Act empowered technology transfer nationwide -- moving an early-stage idea from the university lab to market as a commercial product -- which led to an explosion of startups forming around federally-funded inventions." "Because of Bayh-Dole, we commercialize an average of two new products and form between two and three new startups based on academic inventions every day of the year.?No other country comes close to that success rate." See the infographic below and on our website: https://lnkd.in/ebQQGkS9 #BayhDole #policy #law #legislation #research #technology #techtransfer #science #medicine #patent #startup #infographic

READ: Joseph Allen, executive director of The Bayh-Dole Coalition, was recently featured in IAM to discuss The National Institutes of Health's licensing guidelines as well as march-in rights under Bayh-Dole. "Joseph Allen, executive director of the Bayh-Dole Coalition, an advocacy organisation that promotes technology transfer under the Bayh-Dole Act, says that march-in rights based on product pricing undermines the confidence of investors. In the past, a university or federal laboratory could license patents to a company and if the licensee tried to commercialise the invention, the government left it alone." "Allen adds that the new NIH licensing guidelines also have price control provisions, which he feels is a big problem. Some prominent attorneys now advise clients to steer clear from government-funded inventions, he notes. Allen, a congressional staffer in the time the Bayh-Dole Act was being debated in Congress, says the law's intent was to ensure that patent licensees were serious about commercialising government-funded inventions." "He is concerned that small companies that makeup 70% of licensed inventions under Bayh-Dole will struggle to submit more complicated commercialisation plans. Licensees will worry about investing billions into drug development only to end with a critic arguing the government should kill the license and re-license the invention to a competitor who makes the product cheaper, he says." Read the full piece below: https://lnkd.in/g3qm36rz #BayhDole #policy #law #legislation #Congress #research #technology #techtransfer #science #medicine #patent #article #NIH

READ: 2024 American Innovator Awardee Katharine Ku recently published an article in Inside Higher Ed discussing the technology transfer process -- including her firsthand insights from decades of experience in the field. "Taking the first step toward commercializing your laboratory discovery is a big moment. But your licensing office is there to help. Ultimately, they want the same thing you do -- to help your research make a difference in the world." "Licensing is hard. Most inventions are not licensed, and success is not guaranteed for any given invention. If it seems like no one is interested in licensing your invention, don’t let it discourage you from continuing your research. On the other hand, if a company takes an interest in your invention, you should be very proud! You've earned an opportunity that not all inventors get, and your tech transfer office can help you make the most of it." "If you ever have the opportunity to meet with your representatives in Congress, sharing your commercialization success stories is a great way to inform them about the importance of tech transfer and the policy environment that makes it possible." "The university research enterprise of the United States is the envy of the world, and the innovations that come out of it are the engines that keep our economy vibrant. We owe not only gratitude but support to the Bayh-Dole Act for allowing university research to make a real-world impact." Read the full piece below: https://lnkd.in/eeX_vC27 #BayhDole #BayhDoleFOAI #policy #law #legislation #Congress #research #technology #techtransfer #science #medicine #patent #article #highered

READ: 2024 American Innovator Awardee and University of Arizona Professor Dr. Hong Hua recently published an article in the Arizona Daily Star. She discusses the process of inventing and commercializing her wearable vision-restoring technology under the Bayh-Dole Act -- and why lawmakers must keep this system in place to support future breakthroughs. "Bringing my discovery to market was not fast, easy, or certain. And it wouldn't have been possible without the legal protections enabling private companies to collaborate with university researchers like me." "Inventors need investment and licensing agreements with entrepreneurial companies to bring their inventions to market. Even the most promising ideas face setbacks along the way. Bayh-Dole makes successful development a possibility, but it’s no guarantee." "As the new administration and Congress take office, lawmakers and policymakers should recommit themselves to preserving the Bayh-Dole Act as a font of innovation." Read the full op-ed below: https://lnkd.in/e42QhSVr #BayhDole #BayhDoleFOAI #policy #law #legislation #Congress #research #technology #techtransfer #science #medicine #patent #oped

READ: In this insightful RealClearHealth piece, tech transfer expert Laura Peter discusses how intellectual property rights drive America's innovative leadership and scientific advancement. "Intellectual property rights drive our innovation economy by giving inventors the right to reap the gains of their inventions for a limited time, in exchange for contributing those innovations to the public domain. These are the only personal rights expressly written into the body of the U.S. Constitution -- a testament to how important securing intellectual property rights for inventors was to our founders. Curbing those rights sends the wrong message to innovators and investors dedicated to developing and bringing to market revolutionary products that benefit society." "Healthcare affordability is a critical national issue, and no American should struggle to afford medicines they need. But attacking intellectual property rights is the wrong tool to use for this worthy goal." Read the full op-ed below: https://lnkd.in/egPAsa85 #BayhDole #policy #law #legislation #Congress #research #technology #techtransfer #science #medicine #patent #oped

READ: Joseph Allen, executive director of The Bayh-Dole Coalition, was recently featured in a Federal Newswire interview discussing how undermining the Bayh-Dole Act will impede U.S. innovation and leadership. "Small companies play a crucial role under the Bayh-Dole framework. Allen notes that "seventy percent of these inventions, even drugs, are licensed to small companies initially who are willing to take risks that big companies can't do.” He adds, “We're the only country in the world whose economy and innovation are driven by small companies." "Despite its success, the Bayh-Dole Act faces challenges. For example, critics of the pharmaceutical industry have sought to reinterpret the Act to impose price controls on the industry's inventions that included federal funds. Allen recalls an instance when opponents misrepresented the Act's original intent." "The stakes are high. Allen believes that a proposed rule to change March-In Rights and make price controls more likely could undermine the system he says has driven U.S. innovation for over four decades. "If this rule goes into place, it would undo the 44-year history of Bayh-Dole," he says." Read the full article below: https://lnkd.in/efq-MMiP #BayhDole #policy #law #legislation #Congress #research #technology #techtransfer #science #medicine #patent

LAST CALL: Nominations for The Bayh-Dole Coalition's 2025 American Innovator Award will close tomorrow, February 14! As a reminder, we are looking for compelling stories illustrating the "personal commitment, sacrifice, risk, and determination" required to turn a federally-funded invention into a useful product. Nominees can be: - Inventors - Researchers - Tech transfer professionals - Industry partners - Venture capitalists - Licensing officials - Others whose stories exemplify?what makes the Bayh-Dole system work "The stories of these individuals give policymakers, the media, and the general public a better appreciation for the Bayh-Dole system -- including what is required to make the system work and why it must be appreciated and protected... Recipients will be profiled in our 2025 "Faces of American Innovation" report and celebrated during a congressional briefing and advocacy conference in Washington, D.C." Learn more and nominate someone below: https://lnkd.in/echFWxEH

WATCH: In "The Innovation Legacy of U.S. Universities," Katharine Ku talks about the positive effects of the Bayh-Dole Act, and how the tech transfer system continues to propel US innovation. "Once Bayh-Dole was passed, all the universities were encouraged to decide to put in the resources to set up a tech transfer office... and universities in the U.S. are great at it now. They are the model for the rest of the world." "We need to keep our position and maintain our competitiveness in the whole world economy, and we can do this through university tech transfer." "The Bayh-Dole law works. It works very well... don't try to fix something that doesn't need fixing." See the full video below: https://lnkd.in/etuNagmT #BayhDole #BayhDoleFOAI #policy #law #legislation #Congress #research #technology #techtransfer #science #medicine #patent #NIH #testimonial