The US Bayh–Dole Act and Revisionism Redux

In the past several years various published papers have questioned whether the Bayh–Dole Act of 1980 (The University and Small Business Patent Procedures Act) has in reality been a determining factor in promoting the transfer of technology from US universities, as has been credited to it. This paper responds to that criticism, presenting facts and analysis in support of the contributions universities have made under the auspices of the Act. The authors point out flawed interpretations and misreadings of pertinent data by critics and discuss the circumstances surrounding the inception, passage and implementation of Bayh–Dole.