IP for free?: a 'quirky' idea that reinvents innovation - Intellectual Property - Australia
abernard102@gmail.com 2013-05-24
Summary:
Collaboration is not a new idea. What is changing is the way it is executed ... Quirky + GE are not alone in their endeavours. Internet platforms which seek public input into development, solution-finding or funding are gaining significant traction. For example: [1] Platforms like Innocentive list a specific problem and offer a reward to the person who identifies the best solution. There is currently a US$1 million dollar reward for a problem sponsored by the US Government's Defence Threat Reduction Agency. [2] Platforms like Kickstarter and Pozible source funding for anything from scientific research, to consumer product development or charitable causes. Known as 'Crowd Funding', this approach to sourcing funding is rapidly gaining momentum.
Other examples of IP being made publically available include: [3] The University of New South Wales' Easy Access IP program, which seeks to drive the commercialisation of a select portfolio of UNSW's existing IP by making it available to parties to exploit at no cost and on limited conditions. [4] Universities are making course content available for free on the Internet through the Massive Open Online Course(or MOOC) movement. Stanford University and the University of Melbourne have free courses available for enrolment through Coursera. Penn State University recently reported 1 million enrolments in its courses after launching on Coursera just one year ago. [5] Governments around the world are also embracing and demanding free access to intellectual property. In Australia, from July 2012 the National Health and Medical Research Council has imposed an obligation on research institutions to ensure that publications (and associated data) arising from NHMRC funded research are made freely available in an open access repository within 12 months of publication. Last month, Research Councils UK changed its funding rules to require the results of funded research to be published within 12 months in journals that are available for free. The US and the EU are contemplating similar changes ... "