Trump administration threatens to take Harvard’s patents

The federal authorities advised Harvard College on Friday it may take management of the college’s patents stemming from federally funded analysis — the newest in a months-long feud between the Trump administration and the Ivy League school.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is launching an “fast complete evaluation” of whether or not Harvard has complied with federal legal guidelines round patents, he mentioned in a letter to Harvard President Alan Garber.

The patents in query might be price lots of of thousands and thousands of {dollars}, a senior administration official mentioned, and in his letter, Lutnick threatened to grant third-party licenses to Harvard’s patents or take the titles to any patents the place Harvard has didn’t adjust to authorities title and disclosure necessities.

Lutnick ordered the Massachusetts-based college to supply data on all patents that it obtained via federally funded analysis.

“We imagine that Harvard has didn’t reside as much as its obligations to the American taxpayer and is in breach of the statutory, regulatory, and contractual necessities tied to Harvard’s federally funded analysis applications and mental property arising therefrom,” Lutnick mentioned.

He gave Harvard till Sept. 5 to reply and show it is complying with the Bayh-Dole Act. Beneath that laws, universities receiving federal analysis grants have to indicate that innovations issuing from that funding are getting used to learn Individuals. 

The Trump administration desires Harvard to supply a listing of all of the patents it has that stem from federal grants, how the patents are at present being utilized and particulars about licensing agreements, together with whether or not they mandate “substantial U.S. manufacturing” and the identities of the licensees.  

A Harvard spokesperson known as the transfer “one more retaliatory effort focusing on Harvard for defending its rights and freedom.” 

“Applied sciences and patents developed at Harvard are life-saving and industry-redefining. We’re absolutely dedicated to complying with the Bayh-Dole Act and making certain that the general public is ready to entry and profit from the various improvements that come up out of federally funded analysis at Harvard,” the spokesperson mentioned.

The Trump administration has paused or reduce off billions in federal analysis funding to Harvard, accusing the college of failing to take care of campus antisemitism. Harvard has sued over the funding freezes, alleging the federal government is illegally punishing the college for First Modification-protected exercise and attempting to “drive Harvard to undergo the Authorities’s management over its tutorial applications.”

Earlier than the funding cutoff, the administration demanded that Harvard comply with adjustments — together with an exterior audit of sure tutorial departments, an finish to DEI applications and stricter disciplinary insurance policies — if it desires to keep up its “monetary relationship” with the federal authorities. Harvard rejected the calls for.

President Trump has additionally pushed the Inside Income Service to evaluation Harvard’s tax-exempt standing. And he directed his administration to bar most international college students from touring to the U.S. to check at Harvard, although a decide blocked that transfer.

Mr. Trump has urged he is open to creating a take care of Harvard. Another Ivy League colleges that confronted funding freezes have reduce offers with the administration, with Columbia College and Brown College making varied concessions to the federal authorities.