By Barbara Hale
Public Information
The rapid change in technology is just one reason why a task force to review existing University intellectual property policies and procedures has been named. Intellectual property covers a wide range of items, including inventions developed through Penn State research.
The task force, appointed by Rodney A. Erickson, vice president for research and dean of The Graduate School, will not only review University policies, but also will consider current and emerging issues and strategies for intellectual property administration, benchmark with other leading universities, and provide recommendations on a wide range of related issues.
Erickson cited rapid technological change, increases in the output of
intellectual property, changes in copyright law and ongoing administrative
reorganization as reasons for the review.
"The volume of invention disclosures has gone from 53 disclosures in l988 to 190 in 1998," Erickson said. "The development of materials to be copyrighted, such as educational materials for distance education, including the Internet, interactive and multimedia use, has also mushroomed. Industry-sponsored research has assumed a more important role. And, faculty-, staff- and student-initiated start-up companies have become more common."
Erickson said many research institutions across the country are undertaking policy and procedure reviews now to keep pace with similar developments.
The new task force includes a 17-member steering group and topic-specific committees. The heads of the current topic-specific committees also serve on the steering group.
Nancy Eaton, dean, University Libraries, chairs the Software, Copyright and Data Rights Committee; Ernest Johnson, director, Office of Research Affairs, The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, and past chairman, Senate Committee on Research, is chair of the Intellectual Property Administration Committee; Barry Zoumas,the Alan R. Warehime professor, College of Agricultural Sciences, and former vice president for research and development at Hershey Foods Corp., chairs the Equity Positions and Start-Up Companies Committee; Richard Stern, deputy director, Initiatives and Academic Programs, Applied Research Laboratory, chairs the Patent Agreements Committee.
"As a research institution, we have to be cognizant of what we have to do to stay competitive and to educate our students," Erickson said. "These issues of ownership and ethics impact everyone in higher education -- whether you're starting a company or putting together a course packet."
The steering group, which will examine overarching issues such as faculty conflicts of interest and commitment and ownership of intellectual property, includes the following members as well as the chairs of the topic-specific committees: Harry Allcock, Evan Pugh professor of chemistry; Tamara J. Carneim, graduate student in materials science and engineering; John F. Houlihan, professor of physics, Penn State Shenango; Thomas N. Jackson, professor of electrical engineering and chairman of the Senate Committee on Research; William J. Keating, professor of law, specializing in intellectual property, Dickinson School of Law; Joan Lakoski, associate professor of pharmacology and anesthesia, College of Medicine, and an Administrative Fellow in the Office of the Vice President for Research; Daniel J. Larson, dean, Eberly College of Science; Gary L. Lilien, distinguished research professor of management science; Gary Miller, associate vice president for distance education, Outreach and Cooperative Extension; Thomas J. Monahan, director, Intellectual Property Office; Joanne Rutkowski, associate professor of music and co-chair, Graduate Council Committee on Research; and J. Rodman Steele, member of the Board of Trustees, Dickinson School of Law, and patent attorney with Quarles & Brady in West Palm Beach, Fla.
The task force, which met for the first time Dec. 22, expects to offer an interim report to Erickson by the end of spring semester, according to John L. Leathers, associate vice president for research, special projects and chair of the task force.
Faculty, staff members and students are urged to offer input directly to members of the steering group and committees. Correspondence can also be directed to the task force via e-mail at JEP5@psu.edu.