White Paper signed by the California Institute of Technology, Cornell University, Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of California, University of Illinois - Chicago, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, University of Washington and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.

The paper suggests the following nine points:

1. Universities should reserve the right to practice licensed inventions, and to allow other nonprofit and governmental organizations to do so;
2. Exclusive licenses should be structured in a manner that encourages technology development and use;
3. Strive to minimize the licensing of "future improvements;"
4. Universities should anticipate and help to manage tech-transfer-related conflicts of interest;
5. Ensure broad access to research tools;
6. Enforcement action should be carefully considered;
7. Be mindful of export regulations;
8. Be mindful of the implications of working with patent aggregators; and
9. Consider including provisions that address unmet needs, such as those of neglected patient populations or geographic areas, giving particular attention to improved therapeutics, diagnostics, and agricultural technologies for the developing world.

Download White Paper.

(credit: Scott Ferguson, National Research Council Canada)