Trump Administration Threatens to Seize Valuable Harvard Patents

The Trump administration threatened to assume ownership of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of patents from Harvard University, accusing the Ivy League college of failing to comply with the law on federal research grants.

In a letter to Harvard President Alan Garber on Friday, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said the university is failing its obligations to US taxpayers, paving the way for a process that could result in the government seizing its patents under the Bayh-Dole Act.

Harvard has until Sept. 5 to prove it’s complying with the requirements, including whether it showed a preference for US manufacturing, or risk forfeiting its patents, according to the letter that was viewed by Bloomberg News. The government could issue third-party licenses to Harvard’s patents.

“This unprecedented action is yet another retaliatory effort targeting Harvard for defending its rights and freedom,” said a university spokesperson. “We are fully committed to complying with the Bayh-Dole Act and ensuring that the public is able to access and benefit from the many innovations that arise out of federally funded research at Harvard.”

Read More: Here Are the Many Ways Trump Is Attacking Harvard

The move is the latest escalation of the White House’s pitched battle with Harvard over more than $2 billion in suspended federal funding as the two parties negotiate over a potential settlement. It is also the first time that the administration is leveraging the Commerce Department and patent law in its pressure campaign against Harvard and other elite institutions.

The university has sued over the withheld funding as well as the administration’s attempts to ban the school from enrolling international students.

The Trump administration is seeking at least a $500 million paymentfrom the university to return the federal funds, Bloomberg News has reported. Harvard reportedly has balked at that figure.

To contact the reporters on this story:
Liam Knox in Washington at lknox18@bloomberg.net;
Hadriana Lowenkron in Washington at hlowenkron@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story:
Sarah Halzack at shalzack@bloomberg.net
Romy Varghese

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