Commercializing University Research: Lessons From the Experience of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

Abstract

Hoping to profit from growing commercial interest in the products of biotechnology, many universities are interested in setting up organizations to patent and license faculty discoveries. One of the oldest and most financially successful programs in existence is the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), established in 1925 to administer patents and licenses resulting from the work of University of Wisconsin researchers. The authors examine the history, organization, and activities of WARF, its relationship with the University, its role in funding campus research, its financial performance, and some of the controversies surrounding its actions. Blumenthal et al. conclude that, while WARF has effectively managed the patents program at Wisconsin, its success would be difficult to duplicate today. They spell out the financial, legal, and ethical implications that university administrators should consider before establishing an internal patenting and licensing office. (KIE abstract)