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PIPRA’s Winter 2007 quarter newsletter:
Click to Download- Newsletter-Issue 7-Winter 2007

HOME PURPOSE BACKGROUND ACTIVITIES PARTICIPANTS PUBLICATIONS CONTACT US PIPRA PORTFOLIO JOB OPPORTUNITIES

PIPRA and MIHR announce the release of our new IP Handbook at BIO 2007 in Boston on May 6. View the press release. For more information on the IP Handbook or to place an order, visit www.IPhandbook.org

The beta version of the PIPRA agricultural IP database is now on-line for public access.  Please visit it at: http://pipra.m-cam.com.  Over 6600 patents and patent applications from 45 different countries are now searchable by many fields, including licensing status.  The data represent the agricultural portfolio of 27 universities and non-profit research institutions.

PIPRA and McGill University’s Centre for Intellectual Property Policy have signed an MOU and look forward to future work together. In addition to our members, PIPRA has a broad network of affiliated institutions that provide a strong base for collaborative activities.

To download PIPRA’s inter-institutional Memorandum of Understanding click here.

Humanitarian Use Reservation of Rights Licensing Language

PIPRA's members and our pro bono attorneys at Morrison and Foerster, have collaboratively developed licensing language for a humanitarian use reservation of rights. We welcome comments and queries regarding the language and encourage its widespread adoption among technology transfer professionals.

Membership Expanded to 45 Universities and Non-Profit Institutions in 13 countries

PIPRA's membership continues to grow, both within the United States, and internationally. A full list of PIPRA members and our Memorandum of Understanding can be found on the participants page. PIPRA membership is open to universities and non-profit research institutions. For more information on joining PIPRA, please contact Sara Boettiger by phone (530-754-6725) or email.

Development of Plant Transformation Vector with Maximal FTO

PIPRA is facilitating the design, construction, and testing of a plant transformation vector with maximal freedom-to-operate. PIPRA staff, a working group of leading plant transformation scientists, and PIPRA's pro bono attorneys are working together to create a vector with as many components as possible from the public domain or owned by PIPRA members with known licensing terms. The vector will be distributed on a royalty-free basis for humanitarian uses.

GLOSSARY

  • What is a staple or subsistence crop?

    Staple (or subsistence) crops are important food crops in developing countries. Examples include rice, cassava, bananas, and various varieties of native beans.

  • What is a specialty crop?

    Specialty crops are important commercial crops that are grown in specific regions rather than across broad areas involving tens of millions of acres. Examples include: lettuce, tomatoes, oranges, pumpkins, cranberries, cucumbers, grapes, apples, cabbage, peas, walnuts, and broccoli.

  • What is agricultural biotechnology?

    Many definitions of agricultural biotechnology exist. Some internationally agreed definitions are: "Any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use" (Convention on Biological Diversity), or " Interpreted in a narrow sense, . a range of different molecular technologies such as gene manipulation or gene transfer, DNA typing and cloning of plants and animals" (Food and Agricultural Organization's Statement on Biotechnology).

  • What are intellectual property rights?

    Intellectual property rights (IPR) are the legal framework, which includes patenting and plant variety protection, by which inventors control the commercialization of their work.

  • What is freedom to operate?

    Freedom to operate (FTO), for the purposes of the PIPRA discussion, is understood to mean: the ability to clear all intellectual property barriers, as well as regulatory and cultural constraints, and bring a new product to market.

  • What is meant by the public sector?

    The public sector includes universities, government agencies, international research institutions, and other institutions with a clear public mission.

  • What is the Land Grant College System?

    The Morrill Act of 1862 established the Land Grant College system. It created land grant colleges in every state and the District of Columbia to teach agriculture and related fields. The system was expanded in 1890 to include historically black colleges and Tuskegee University. More information on land grant colleges can be obtained from the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges (http://nasulgc.org).

  • What is the Bayh-Dole Act?

    The Patent and Trademark Law Amendments Act (P.L. 96-517) as enacted in 1980, and amendments included in P.L. 98-620, enacted into law in 1984. More information on the Bayh-Dole Act and its importance for technology transfer can be obtained from the Council on Governmental Relations (http://www.cogr.edu).