or fully through Federal grants and contracts. The 
magnitude of the problem is such that it cannot be 
ignored. Federal R&D expenditures now exceed 
$16 billion a year. For the past decade, the 
Government has provided by grant or contract 
more than one-half the R&D money spent in 
industry, thus tending to stimulate invention. 
However, the basic principle of some agencies 
of the Government is that titles to patents on 
innovations arising from use of public monies 
should be assigned to the Government and the 
information contained therein made available to 
the public without payment of royalty where 
consistent with National security. On the other 
hand, industry, university, and other private inter- 
ests contend that this policy tends to impair 
technology transfer and reduce innovation, as it 
deprives the inventor of initiative and discourages 
investment capital. 
The paradox is that the Government at one and 
the same time stimulates invention through its vast 
R&D expenditures, yet it apparently impedes its 
spread into commerce through certain of its patent 
policies. A new equitable patent policy is needed 
urgently to renew the stimulation of inventiveness 
while protecting the taxpayers’ interests. 
Withholding scientific and technical data from 
the public because of security classification, or 
because of restrictions under the Mutual Security 
and Export Control Acts, is another source of 
difficulty. The panel commends the work of the 
Senate Small Business Committee in calling atten- 
tion to the practical difficulties encountered by 
industry in obtaining Government-generated scien- 
tific and technical information. The overall prob- 
lem is serious, and applies to all Federal agencies, 
although the Navy is of prime importance with 
respect to marine technology since the largest 
percentage has been developed under Navy spon- 
sorship. 
The Oceanographer of the Navy has estimated 
that more than 90 per cent of the Navy-developed 
raw oceanographic scientific information is unclas- 
sified and therefore should be made available to 
the public. Nevertheless, as indicated earlier, there 
are insufficient funds to disseminate such informa- 
tion except for standard charts and publications 
intended for the maritime industry. A much 
greater percentage of oceanographic technological 
information is not available to the public. One 
major reason for this is that it is frequently found 
in reports associated with classified subjects. In 
addition, it has been stated in Congressional 
testimony that an important barrier in information 
release arises from a diverse interpretation of 
military security regulations.’ Classified reports 
frequently contain important contributions to 
marine technology and should be reviewed periodi- 
cally to identify those portions that can be 
released for public use. The panel recognizes that 
the Department of Defense is making a concerted 
effort to make available results of military research 
and development. 
An important function to be performed within 
the Commission’s Governmental organizational 
plan is developing cooperative arrangements in- 
volving DOD and the civil marine agencies to 
assure that all Government data are made available 
to the private sector at the earliest possible time 
consistent with National security. Special atten- 
tion should be given to the criteria with which 
DOD assigns classification to ocean-related data as 
well as to employment of the “need to know” 
requirement for certain classified and unclassified 
material. The Atomic Energy Commission Advi- 
sory Committee on Non-Nuclear Technology has 
performed an important service in this area. The 
panel believes that this service should be extended 
to the oceanographic field. 
Recommendation: 
The Department of Defense and civil marine 
agencies should be directed to review and modify 
their procedures to ensure that the private sector 
has timely access to all classified and unclassified 
Government data as soon as possible consistent 
with security considerations. Particular attention 
should be devoted to the information exchange 
problems of small business. 
An advisory committee should be charged with 
periodic review of the effectiveness with which all 
Government marine agencies are able to identify 
and disseminate information to potential users. 
Il. SUPPORTING SERVICES 
The Federal Government provides many serv- 
ices directly and indirectly affecting ocean indus- 
7 Senate Select Committee on Small Business, April 6, 
1967, op. cit., p. 27. 
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