Mandate Open Access to Digital Copies of Lab Notebooks Created Through Publicly Funded Research Leading to a US Patent | We the People: Your Voice in Our Government

"Access to notebooks improves the processes of patenting, inventing & preserving U.S. scientific & medical history. In 2013, OSTP mandated open access for federally funded research articles & data, but excluded notebooks. This petition requests expansion of the mandate. When federally funded research results in a (provisional) patent application, a digital copy of searchable, full-text notebooks should be required. Why? Without notebooks, recent studies were unable to reproduce journal findings, resulting in serious economic & health implications for products & processes. Notebooks are evidence in patent litigation, so funding USPTO storage prevents fraud. After the life of the patent, notebooks should become public domain with an exclusion allowing transfer of classified materials to NARA."