In an effort to ameliorate perceived problems with the manner in which the federal government issues federal grant funding and the nature of the grants that it funds, President Trump recently announced a sweeping new grant...more
On August 8, 2025, the U.S. Department of Commerce notified Harvard University (Harvard) that it has initiated a comprehensive review of Harvard’s federally funded research programs to assure compliance with the Bayh-Dole...more
The Trump administration recently announced that it will begin investigating compliance with the Bayh-Dole Act, signaling it may invoke march-in rights or more dramatic request for title of patents relating to inventions...more
In Fiscal Year 2023, colleges and universities spent approximately $109 billion on research and development expenditures of which $59.6 billion, or 55%, was federally funded. In Fiscal Year 2022, the Small Business Innovation...more
On August 8, 2025, the U.S. Department of Commerce sent a letter to Harvard University—also shared publicly on the social media platform X—alleging that the university failed to comply with several provisions of the Bayh-Dole...more
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN LIFE SCIENCES - Life sciences companies are forming AI-driven strategic collaborations with tech giants, creating synergy that promises to revolutionize the industry. Companies like NVIDIA,...more
U.S. universities and academic institutions rely heavily on federal grants to fund their research and generate innovations in life sciences. Universities often out-license patents protecting inventions created using federal...more
The Biden-Harris Administration recently announced various actions to lower healthcare and prescription drug costs. In one action, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released in December 2023 a draft...more
Under the University and Small Business Patent Procedures Act of 1980 (35 U.S.C. §§ 200-212), commonly referred to as the Bayh-Dole Act, the federal government can exercise “march-in” authority in certain circumstances to...more
In the Biden administration’s pursuit of increasing affordability of healthcare and prescription drugs, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released in December 2023 its draft framework on the US...more
On December 8, 2023, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released the Draft Interagency Guidance Framework for Considering the Exercise of March-In Rights (guidance) to the public for comment. The...more
The Department of Commerce and the National Institute of Standards and Technology are requesting comments on a “draft guidance framework designed to help federal agencies evaluate when it may be appropriate to exercise...more
The Situation: On December 8, 2023, the National Institute of Standards and Technology ("NIST") released a proposed framework for federal agencies regarding the exercise of the government's march-in rights for federally...more
On December 8, 2023, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published a draft guidance document regarding the government’s exercise of “march-in” rights under the Bayh-Dole Act. The following Q&A, in...more
On December 7, the Biden administration announced a proposed framework for determining whether the government may exercise its march-in rights to license pharmaceutical patents to third parties if it determines that the price...more
On December 8, 2023, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published a draft guidance document regarding the government’s exercise of “march-in” rights under the Bayh-Dole Act. The Bayh-Dole march-in...more
The Biden Administration’s recent publication of the Draft Interagency Guidance Framework for Considering the Exercise of March-In Rights and its request for comments on the draft guidance will impact how march-in rights...more
Following years of discussion and pressure being applied by certain policymakers (including Senate HELP Committee Chair Bernie Sanders), the Biden Administration announced that a framework is being put forward by HHS and the...more
The Bayh Dole Act was enacted to provide incentives to promote commercialization of federally funded inventions and was designed to capitalize on the significant government investments in small business, university research,...more
Since its enactment in 1980, the Bayh-Dole Act has been credited with promoting the development of over 10,000 startup companies and at least 200 pharmaceutical drugs and vaccines, while contributing more than $500 billion...more
On August 4, 2020, a bipartisan coalition of over 30 attorneys general led by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry sent a letter request to United States Health and Human...more
While companies in every industry are working hard to figure out the best response to this global pandemic, those in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries have been faced with some unique challenges related to the...more
March-in rights in the US were created in 1980, as part of the Bayh-Dole Act. Simply stated, when the US government funds research that results in patents, it obtains rights to those patents. These rights are retained even...more
March-in Rights and Compulsory Licensing of Biopharmaceutical Inventions - Very few topics in international intellectual property have been as controversial as compulsory licensing. In the US, consumer groups have...more
The Bayh-Dole Act allocates rights for intellectual property developed with federal funds between contractors or grant recipients and the government. This infographic provides an overview of the Bayh-Dole Act, the steps that...more