IP: end of string On State Universities, S-2031, and Bayh-Dole

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

To: Jonathan S. Shapiro" <shap () eros-os org>

IP Readers:

I owe Seth Johnson an apology. Here is what happened.

In my earlier response, I said that Seth was "flat wrong" about
Bayh-Dole. Seth quoted the text of an *Alternet* article written by
somebody else. The alternet article said, in part:

> In 1980, Bob Dole co-sponsored a bill that gave private
> industry exclusive licensing rights to any promising
> discoveries arising from federally funded research.

Bayh-Dole gives Universities the *opportunity* to form such
relationships at the discretion of the University. It does not in any
way bypass the university or the researcher as the Alternet description
suggests.

When I replied to Seth's note, I failed to notice where Seth's note
ended and the quoted alternet article began. I therefore misattributed
the statement to Seth. Seth and I have been having a private exchange
trying to sort out my mistake above, and Dave accidentally resent the
last fragment to the IP list.

While our reasons differ, Seth and I are in agreement about both
Bayh-Dole and Leahy's S-2031: both are bad laws.

I hope you will consider what Seth is saying, and then act according to
your best judgment. While Seth and I come to our conclusions for
different reasons, I think what he has to say is worth considering
carefully.


Jonathan S. Shapiro
Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science
Johns Hopkins University

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