BioCentury
ARTICLE | Strategy

Easy Access IP: ahead of the game or easy way out?

March 20, 2014 7:00 AM UTC

As university technology transfer offices grapple with how best to commercialize their discoveries, about 25 international universities are turning to Easy Access IP, a strategy to give patented inventions away for free. Supporters argue that giving away IP attracts potential investors, while some non-adopter technology transfer office heads think companies will only be attracted by well-fleshed-out legal agreements.

At the heart of the debate is an issue technology transfer offices (TTOs) and other stakeholders in translational research have talked about for years-the inefficiency and expense associated with licensing university patents...