PubliclyFundedPatents&TechnologyTransfer‐areviewoftheIndianBayh‐DoleBill‐NUJS‐12THSeptember2009
PATENTING & TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER- IIT KHARGPUR EXPERIENCE
PROF.VIVEKANANDAN, DEAN-RGSOIPL-IIT KGP [email protected]
IIT–KGPATAGLANCE
ESTABLISHEDINMAY1950 500+Faculty 9000+studentsincludingresearchers 31schools/centres/departments ManagedbyaBoardofGovernors Annualbudget120crores(25millionUSD) UndertheMinistryofHumanResourceDevelopment(MHRD)Govt.ofIndia
ResearchataGlance
SponsoredResearch&IndustrialConsultancy‐divisionestablishedin1982
ManagedbyDean(SRIC) interfacebetweenfundingagenciesandthe
Institute Tohandlesponsoredresearchprojectsand
industrialconsultancyassignments. 2007‐2008,handledRs.126.34crores(25+million
USD)fromGovernment,privateandinternationalfundingagencies/enterprises.
CurrentlyhandlingRs300crores(50+millionUSD)
SRIC–clients
GovernmentDepartments–e.g.DRDO MajorPublicSectorCorporations‐DamodarValleyCorporation
Privatesectorclients‐notableones–Google,Microsoft,GE,TataMotors,Infosys,ITC,Relianceetc
ResearchAreasspanfromAcceleratedLifeTestingtothatofX‐rayCrystallography
TheIPperspective
TheInstitutestronglybelievesthattheintellectualpropertyrightsofapersonarenotonlytobeprotectedbutalsocommerciallyexploited.
Policystatement‐http://www.iitkgp.ac.in/sric/ipr.php
PatentScenario
Year Filed Granted
2007 6 38
2008 40 10
2009 31 4
Licensingstats
Year Number
2007 6
2008 40
2009 31
Policyperspective
ThecomprehensiveIPRpolicydocumentfortheresearchersandstaffarepostedathttp://www.iitkgp.ac.in/sric/iprpolicy.html
DistributionoftheProceeds Institute'sshare‐50% Creator'sshare‐50%
CapacityBuilding
IITKgpisthefirsttechnologyinstitutetostartaschoolonIPspecialization
TheRajivGandhiSchoolofIntellectualPropertyLawfoundedwithagenerousgrantfromVinodGuptaCharitablefoundationoffersathreeyearLL.BprogrammeinlawwithspecializationinIP
TheentryistargetedforfouryearormoregraduatesfromTechnology,ScienceandManagement
IPCollaboration
AcademictieupwithGeorgeWashingtonLawSchool,UniversityofOntario,UniversityofNewSouthWales
InstitutionalcollaborationwithTIFAC,NRDC,IndianPatentOffice,MinistryofCorporateAffairs,GovtofIndia
IndustrycollaborationwithMicrosoft
BacktoBayhDoleBasics…
TheIITpolicyisinfactimplementingBayh‐Doleframework
Thenewbillifbecomesanactwillhavenomajorimpact
TheinstituteIPpolicyisdrivenbytheaimofselfsufficiencyoffundstoruntheInstitutethandependingheavilyofGovernmentbudget
TheimpactoutsideIITframework
Unlikethedevelopedworld–IndianresearchforinventionsandinnovationsisStatefunded
InUnitedStatesthefederalgovernmentwassittingover30000patentswhichledtotheBayhDoleexperiment
ToBayhDoleornottoBayhDole
1.iftheseinnovationsandcreationsarenotclaimedas‘rights‘butplacedinpublicdomain,itwillonlyhelpprivateplayerstofreelycommercializethisknowledge.Thisisalsoafreeriderofadifferentvarietyofthepubliclyfundedknowledgeresources.
2.Itwillgiveadirectiontoappliedresearchwhichwillhelpincreatingessentialtechnologieswhichotherwiseisimportedatahugecostandalsoattimesisdeniedbythetechnologyholdersinothercountriesbytheirrespectivetradepolicies.
ToDoleornottoDole
1.Itwillencircletheintellectualoutputofpublicinstitutionswhichareessentiallyfundedbypublicresources‐thiswillalsofencetheupstreamresearchbyshrinkingthepublicdomainspace.
2.Thusthetaxpayersfundingofthepublicresearcheffortstofinallyendupinpayingthecommercialplayerstogetthebenefitsoftheresearch–theinstitutionalbenefitismarginalinthebusinesscycle
Thetransplantissues
Toworkoutclearresearchexemptionsprovisions(aka‐bolarprovisions)amongpublicfundedresearchentitiestoenableupstreamresearch
Tomakeprovisionsforopensourceorpatentpoolingroutesotherthanconventionalpatentroute
Insteadofthrustoncommercialization–wherethehighestbidderwins–thethrustshouldbeeffectiveutilizations.
TheTransplantIssues;;
HavingAuditcommitteesformonitoringtechtransfers
Inventorfreedomclauseforcommercializingtheinvention
Non‐exclusivelicenceapproach
ALastWord
Idonotwantmyhousetobewalledinonallsidesandmywindowstobestuffed.Iwanttheculturesofalllandstobeblownaboutmyhouseasfreelyaspossible.ButIrefusetobeblownoffmyfeetbyany.
M.K.Gandhi