9 
recombinant DNA research, and a Government report has just been issued 
containing guidelines that technically are similar to the NIH guidelines. 
Patent Policy Review 
Currently there is also a review underway of the Department patent 
policies as they relate to discoveries in recombinant DNA research. A 
number of universities where such research is being conducted are 
reviewing possible patent applications for these discoveries. Stanford 
University and the University of California have filed patent claims in 
this research area and have solicited the views of the Department and 
the NIH. These patent activities, the certitude that other important 
inventions in this field are forthcoming, and the public's apprehension 
over control of recombinant DNA research compel inquiry into whether the 
Department's policies for allocating invention rights are consonant with 
the concerns about this research. 
Invention rights are normally allocated in either of two ways under 
current Department patent regulations: 
The Department has institutional patent agreements with 65 universi- 
ties having identified technology transfer capabilities. Such an 
agreement provides the institution the first option to ownership in all 
inventions made in performance of Department research, subject to a 
number of conditions deemed necessary to protect the public interest. 
Stanford and the University of California are among the institutions 
that hold such agreements with the Department. 
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