Posts Tagged: "northwestern university"

The Ability to Synthesize DNA: Marvin Caruthers Revolutionized DNA Synthesis

The ability to synthesize DNA through chemical processes is undoubtedly a marvel among modern technological advances and figures into a wide array of industry sectors… This Tuesday, July 3rd, marks the 34th anniversary of the issue of one of the seminal patents in the field of DNA synthesis. The lead inventor, Marvin Caruthers, is a member of the 2018 class of inductees into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Steve Brachmann

July 3, 2018

When Universities Patent Their Research

A few months ago, a judge ordered Apple to pay the University of Wisconsin $506 million for infringing one of its tech patents. Last year, Carnegie-Mellon University won $750 million in a patent infringement lawsuit against Marvell Technology Group. With such big-money patent cases in the news, you might think that owning a patent can create a major windfall of profit for universities. While this has proven true for a handful of institutions, the truth is that most universities actually make little or no money from licensing the inventions they produce.

Adam Hayes

November 20, 2017

AUTM Survey: University Licensing Strong Despite Economy

During fiscal year 2009, 596 new companies were formed as a result of university research, which is one more than the 595 formed in 2008 and 41 more than the 555 formed in 2007. The increase, while modest, does come despite a downturn in the U.S. and global economy, proving that even during a down economy good technology and innovation can and does create jobs. The AUTM survey also shows that invention disclosures continue to rise, patent applications are up, and during fiscal year 2009 there was a surprisingly high increase in foreign filings over fiscal year 2008.

Gene Quinn

December 17, 2010