Subsidizing 'Patent Roulette'
Indianapolis Star, March 5, 2012, at A13
2 Pages Posted: 11 Mar 2012 Last revised: 5 Jun 2015
Date Written: March 5, 2012
Abstract
This essay criticizes university efforts to patent and monetize the fruits of university research. The piece explains that university tech transfer resembles a government-subsidized game of roulette, in which the vast majority of players lose money but continue to play in hopes of hitting an extremely rare jackpot. The result is a system that often hinders, rather than spurs, innovation and the dissemination of new technologies and, thus, raises serious ethical concerns.
Keywords: university technology transfer, university TTLO, university TTO, university patent, Purdue, Stanford, WARF, Myriad
JEL Classification: I23, K00, L3, O34
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation