Effects on academia-industry collaboration of extending university property rights

Several recent studies show European university scientists contributing far more frequently to company-owned patented inventions than they do to patents owned by universities or by the academic scientists themselves. Recognising the significance of this channel for direct commercialisation of European academic research makes it important to understand its response to current Bayh-Dole inspired reforms of university patenting rights. This paper studies the contribution from university scientists to inventions patented by dedicated biotech firms (DBFs) specialised in drug discovery in Denmark and Sweden, which in this respect share a number of structural and historic characteristics. It examines effects of the Danish Law on University Patenting (LUP) effective January 2000, which transferred to the employer university rights to patents on inventions made by Danish university scientists alone or as participants in collaborative research with industry. Sweden so far has left property rights with academic scientists, as they also were in Denmark prior to the reform. Consequently, comparison of Danish and Swedish research collaboration before and after LUP offers a quasi-controlled experiment, bringing out effects on joint research of university IPR reform. In original data on all 3,640 inventor contributions behind the 1,087 patents filed by Danish and Swedish DBFs 1990–2004, Difference-in-Difference regressions uncover notable LUP-induced effects in the form of significant reductions in contributions from Danish domestic academic inventors, combined with a simultaneous substitutive increase of non-Danish academic inventors. A moderate increase in academic inventions channelled into university owned-patents does appear after LUP. But the larger part of the inventive potential of academia, previously mobilised into company-owned patents, seems to have been rendered inactive as a result of the reform. As a likely explanation of these effects the paper suggests that exploratory research, the typical target of joint university-DBF projects in drug discovery, fits poorly into LUP’s requirement for ex ante allocation of IPR. The Pre-LUP convention of IPR allocated to the industrial partner in return for research funding and publication rights to the academic partner may have offered more effective contracting for this type of research. There are indications that LUP, outside the exploratory agenda of drug discovery, offers a more productive framework for inventions requiring less complicated and uncertain post-discovery R&D.

Facilitating Local Economic Development through Efforts that Center on National Diplomatic Strategies

正Weifang City of Shandong Province is the birthplace of the kite,and is the City of Kite known across the world.In recent years,the city has been actively engaged in international exchanges.We kicked off these exchanges with activities related to kites and then expanded international economic and trade cooperation.Bearing in mind the national strategies     

Where Are the Big Five Headed?

正China’s banking behemoths face unprecedented challenges In China, there is a widely held stereotype concerning major state-owned commercial banks: They never have to sweat or bleed to make money. Instead, they just lie on their back and whistle as torrents of cash flow to them endlessly.The good old days, however, may be gone. Although the five biggest state-owned banks posted profits as hefty as usual in 2013, they are now cornered by more     

Prudence Required in Limiting Coal Imports

正Recently,the news that the National Development and Reform Commission(NDRC)will soon release provisional management rules on coal quality has sparked discussions in the market.According to a draft the NDRC has issued for public consideration,the country will limit imports of coal with heat value below 4,554 kilocalories,sulfur content higher than 1 percent or ash content above 25 percent.The policy remains to be discussed.With regard to resource     

Golden Age of Think Tanks

正Research and ideas play an increasingly important role in China’s policymaking By Tang YuankaiOn April 19,the National School of Development at Peking University celebrated its 20th anniversary.Six foreigneducated economists,including Justin Yifu Lin,who went on to become the first chief economist and senior vice president of the World Bank     

Full-Pricing Autonomy

正Fair competition among all types of operators will be the future of China’s telecom industry By Lan Xinzhen On May 17,World Telecommunications Day,China’s telecom operators launched promotions as usual,but this year,they directly cut their prices.China Unicom offered discounts as high as 90 percent off for data     

A Matter of Independence Questions are raised on the status of independent directors at public firms

正The issue of independent directors in China has come under the spotlight recently,following the removal of two from office.On May 29,Hangzhou Tianmushan Pharmaceutical Enterprise Co.in east China’s Zhejiang Province announced that its restructuring plan had been delayed again.Before that,the Shanghai Stock Exchange-listed company fired two of its independent directors—Zheng     

Food Scandal Intolerable

正On July 20,the public was appalled as a disturbing scene aired over the nightly TV news broadcast and on the Internet Workers reprocessing long-expired meat into products at Shanghai Husi Food Co.Ltd.,owned by the U.S.-based OSI Group,were caught redhanded by undercover reporters.It was later revealed that the company had forged production dates on at least4,300 cases of smoked beef patties.The dates were altered to January 2014 from May 2013.Among them,more than 3,000     

A Rare Mettle

正Hit with an unfavorable WTO ruling,China must dig deep in order to rescue its beleaguered rare earth industryAccording to a World Trade Organization(WTO)Appellate Body ruling published on August 7,China has lost its appeal against a case brought by the United States,the European Union and Japan challenging its restrictions on exports of rare earths.