Feds Seek Half of University Patents

The Commerce Secretary reportedly wants the federal government to take 50% of universities’ patent revenue from federally funded research. This would upend the Bayh–Dole equilibrium that lets universities keep royalties to reinvest in labs, tech transfer, and spinoffs, and could redirect large sums to central budgets or programs. It would also change licensing and startup incentives across campus ecosystems. — Such a shift would reset the commercialization model for U.S. science, with knock‑on effects for university finances, innovation policy, and the public–private balance in R&D.