[Ip-health] U Washington announces socially responsible IP management

[Amy Kapczynski]

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[ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]

See below - more great work by UAEM students.

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Caroline Gallant <caroline.gallant@mail.mcgill.ca>
> Date: January 6, 2007 9:56:02 PM EST
> To: univ-list@lists.riseup.net
> Subject: [univ-list] Great news: U Washington announces socially
> responsible IP management
>
> In response to a meeting with the U Washington UAEM Chapter, the UW
> Intellectual Property Management Advisory Committee introduced a
> new IP management policy that trumps monetary gain over societal good.
>
> http://uwnews.washington.edu/ni/uweek/uweekarticle.asp?articleID=29101
>
> Jan. 4, 2007
> Choosing the greater good in promotion of UW intellectual properties
> By Peter Kelley
> University Week
>
> A short, simple resolution recently passed by a campus committee
> will help more UW-developed medicines and technologies to be
> distributed in developing countries worldwide.
>
> The resolution was passed by the UW Intellectual Property
> Management Advisory Committee, updating the University's policy
> toward the licensing and distribution of UW intellectual property.
>
> The new policy values distributing UW intellectual properties
> worldwide and the societal good that can come from such innovations
> over the revenue they might generate if licensed only through
> exclusive agreements, if a choice must be made between the two.
>
> That is, the greater good of providing for those in need should
> trump revenues.
>
> The committee's resolution states, "(T)he goal of maximizing
> license revenue can sometimes come into conflict with the goal of
> maximizing the availability and broadest use of UW technology," and
> recommends that the UW "affirm that its primary goal in technology
> transfer is to maximize the worldwide use and societal benefit of
> its research and technology."
>
> Larry Snyder, a professor of computer science and chair of the
> committee, offered a bit of history. He said universities were
> enabled to retain patents for their inventions by the Bayh-Dole Act
> of 1980. But that legislation also required the institutions to
> make intellectual properties available to the public by promoting
> their commercialization -- a move that has since sparked the
> creation of many new industries and markets.
>
> Snyder said the UW's intellectual property committee considered the
> policy change after getting a visit and hearing comments from
> representatives of Universities Allied for Essential Medicines. The
> mission of that nationwide group is to encourage universities to
> make their life-saving medical products available in developing
> countries.
>
> "It seems to me the key point here is that occasionally, social
> good and profit maximization may come into conflict, and in those
> instances where they do, the University has gone on record saying
> we prefer the social responsibility position to the profit
> maximization decision."
>
> It's also true, Snyder said, that this particular situation doesn't
> come up very often. "The (intellectual property) commercialization
> business is usually characterized by a lot of small things that are
> useful but don't make a fortune, and a few home runs."
>
> The advisory committee's decision was forwarded to the office of
> James Severson, vice provost for TechTransfer, who agreed it's the
> right course to take.
>
> "This is a confirmation of the kinds of decisions we have been
> making," Severson said. He added that support for this policy
> change comes from a number of places in the UW community, and
> beyond. "There's a heightened sensitivity now, across the country
> and in this area, and this makes a statement about where our intent
> should be."
>
> For more information on the UW's TechTransfer Office, visit online
> at http://depts.washington.edu/techtran/.  For more information on
> Universities Allied for Essential Medicines visit online at http://
> www.essentialmedicine.org/.