Attitudes toward
the ownership of ideas and patents generated with public funds have changed
significantly over the course of the 20th century. Early in the century, it
was felt that such ideas and patents should remain in the public domain. More
recently, it has been argued the public good is best served by permitting private
ownership of ideas and patents.
Three years ago I was asked to explore the ethics of technology transfer (turning
ideas into technology) for the Association of University Technology Managers
(AUTM). Most universities today, including the University of Michigan, have
one or more administrative units (called "technology transfer offices")
for facilitating the commercial development of ideas. Read the expanded version
of the talk, "The Ethics of Owning and Commercializing
Academic Research: 1920 -Present, " and come to class prepared to discuss:
- Course schedule
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