PubliclyFundedPatents&TechnologyTransfer‐areviewoftheIndianBayh‐DoleBill‐NUJS‐12THSeptember2009

 PATENTING & TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER- IIT KHARGPUR EXPERIENCE

 PROF.VIVEKANANDAN,  DEAN-RGSOIPL-IIT KGP  dean@rgsoipl.iitkgp.ernet.in

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