Careers360 World-class universities: What can India learn? | Page 17
World class
university
Patents
Intellectual property:
The pros and cons
From the late eighties onwards global universities have been on a patenting spree.
We discuss the pros and cons of the initiative
by Team Careers360
U
niversities as contributor to
innovation, performance and
economic growth has long been
recognized if one were to look
at the literature from academics like
Richard Nelson, Nathan Rosenberg,
David Mowery and Edwin Mansfield.
Academic research output in the form
of novel products and services from universities are increasingly seen to show
significant spill-over effects, which
stimulate industrial growth. The key to
successful innovations (transforming
ideas to commercial usage) are linked
to intellectual property rights (IPR) of
which patents, copyrights, designs et al
are the most talked about. A broad patent right is argued to maximize the ability of the patent owner to coordinate
further development.
Patents and other forms of IPR associated to universities is definitely a strong
indicator of its research potential and
academic prowess. New knowledge creation is one aspect which traditionally is
known through publications in journals
of repute. But transferring this knowledge from the academia is another critical area which many world class universities are keen on strengthening. Building an ecosystem within the university is
crucial and this comprises an IPR cell, a
technology transfer or licensing office
and an incubation unit alongside the
necessary support system.
According to Association of University Technology Managers data (2011),
over 7,000 new start-ups have emerged
from US universities with licenses to
university patents – especially after the
passage of the Bayh-Dole Act in 1980,
which confirmed that universities retain
title to patents arising from federallyfunded research. University of California system with ten campuses has the
largest pool of granted patents at the US
Patent and Trademark Office. Isis Innovation Ltd, the University of Oxford’s
wholly owned technology transfer
company, files on average, one patent
48
Careers
360
January 2014
Columbia university has been
granted over 1,250 patents, showing
its focus on research output
application each week and manages over
400 patent application families.
India
Out of the 700+ Indian universities,
very few, including the IITs are engaged
in knowledge creation and transfer.
Some others who are known for their