NEWS RELEASES

June 25, 1999
For immediate release
 

ABOR Adopts New Intellectual Properties Policy

        Arizona's high technology companies and businesses should find it easier to gain access to the discoveries of Arizona's university scientists and researchers, thanks to policy changes adopted today by the Board of Regents.

        Major features of the new intellectual properties policy include:

• Adding and clarifying definitions of key terms
• Creating a process for policy interpretation
• Coverage of copyrights and other intellectual properties in addition to patents. The old policy dealt with patents only.
• Providing the universities the ability in some cases to pre-calculate the total fee for assigning title.
• Creating mutually agreed upon thresholds for when so-called "windfall provisions" would apply to earnings generated by university-generated discoveries
• Protections for industry's proprietary information shared with the universities in conducting collaborative research

        "The new intellectual properties policy is a key component of Arizona's science and technology strategies to provide economic development opportunities," said President Judy Gignac. "We hope that the new policies will serve as a catalyst for the development of more high-tech start-up companies and for luring high-tech companies from other areas into Arizona."

        University researchers and officials have worked with representatives from Arizona high technology, bio-medical, aerospace and other industries over the last three years to build a more flexible, up-to-date framework for sharing knowledge and discoveries.

        "The new policy will make Arizona one of the most progressive states as far as technology transfer," said Steve Zylstra, chair of GSPED High Technology Cluster and an executive at Simula Industries in Phoenix. "This successful collaboration takes Arizona several steps down the road toward fully realizing its potential as an economy driven by science and technology."

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