The government wants a plan on how to share the IP wealth

In July, the feds assembled research administration and IP experts to work on a framework for higher education research commercialisation (CMM Jul y 5). The consultation paper was released yesterday.

What the government wants is a way of, “transferring publicly funded research results into breakthrough products and new businesses (which) will ensure our researchers and universities are appropriately rewarded for their discoveries and their engagement with business, and our businesses have certainty to back their investment.”

Good-o, but is this not what the IP Australia’s Toolkit is meant to help happen? Apparently not, the government wants to know, how the Toolkit and the new framework should be distinguished, “to avoid confusion about applicability for different transactions.”

As to how HERC could work, the questions the consultation paper sets suggest a context could already be in place, including:

* what federal programmes should be covered, just ARC and DESE funding or the NHMRC, rural R&D and publicly funded research agencies as well?

* monitoring the framework “without an undue administrative burden”

*  how to apply the framework consistently, across researchers and industry

* And then there is the big one. “What would make the HERC IP Framework attractive to collaborating and investment partners?”

“Nothing” is probably not the answer officials are after.

If you have opinions muck not around, responses are due by October 18. The feds want a Higher Education Research Commercialisation Framework, “including standardised agreements,” “available for adoption” by December.