The Trump administration is opening a brand new entrance in its battle with Harvard University on the problem of patents, marking a brand new escalation with the elite faculty that might outcome within the lack of further federal funding or mental property rights.
In a Friday letter to Harvard President Alan Garber obtained by NCS, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick writes that the Trump administration believes the college is “in breach of the statutory, regulatory, and contractual requirements tied to Harvard’s federal funded research programs and intellectual property arising therefrom, including patents.”
The Commerce Department, Lutnick stated, is issuing an “immediate comprehensive review” of Harvard’s federally funded analysis applications.
The secretary stated the administration was additionally initiating the “march-in” course of below a legislation referred to as the Bayh-Dole Act that lets universities patent analysis and innovations. That implies that if Harvard has did not disclose or patent its innovations, the federal authorities may take possession of the patents or grant third-party licenses.
The letter, first reported by Reuters, marks the most recent motion by the Trump administration to exert strain on the college. The Trump administration has frozen billions of {dollars} in federal funding for analysis and has focused the college’s means to host worldwide college students. Harvard and the Trump administration are at the moment embroiled in a pair of lawsuits.
Still, officers stay optimistic concerning the prospects of a take care of Harvard to revive funding to the college and drop lawsuits and investigations. The Trump administration has lately struck multimillion-dollar agreements with Columbia and Brown universities.
“While there’s a lawsuit pending with Harvard, and I’m sure that lawsuit will play out, I do hope that Harvard will continue to come to the table with negotiations. Those talks are continuing, and we’d like to have a resolution there, outside of the courts,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a phone interview with NCS final month.
Harvard has despatched some indicators it’s prepared to work with the Trump administration, together with final month when The Harvard Crimson reported that web sites for Harvard College facilities serving minority and LGBTQ college students and ladies disappeared. The White House welcomed that growth, viewing it as a goodwill gesture that one official described as “good news.” McMahon final month additionally pointed to the departure of the heads of the college’s Middle Eastern Studies middle as a optimistic step.