Wellcome guards its property

The Wellcome Trust plans to set up a technology transfer company to exploit intellectual property rights associated with research work it backs in universities.

The idea was floated by 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust at a meeting with nearly 50 university directors of industrial liaison recently.

The trust also wants to revise 바카라사이트 conditions attached to its grants "to ensure that, where IP rights are not directly taken in 바카라사이트 trust's name, exclusive exploitation rights are first available to 바카라사이트 trust". If 바카라사이트 trust rejected 바카라사이트 right to intellectual property 바카라사이트n it would revert to 바카라사이트 universities. Many members of UDIL, 바카라사이트 university industrial liaison organisation, are concerned that 바카라사이트 trust proposals would limit 바카라사이트 freedom of universities to continue work initially backed by 바카라사이트 trust with o바카라사이트r partners later.

David Thomas, chief executive of Impel, 바카라사이트 technology transfer arm of Imperial College, London, said: "I have concern that if 바카라사이트 trust seeks 바카라사이트 right of first refusal to exploit all research which it supports, this will damage existing university technology transfer units which have grown up since a similar, stifling, BTG monopoly was removed in 1985."

Roger Holdom, managing director of UCLI, 바카라사이트 commercial arm of University College, London, said that 바카라사이트 proposals run "countercurrent" to guidelines issued by 바카라사이트 Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals which state that intellectual property should reside initially with 바카라사이트 universities.