Technology Transfer and An Information View of Universities: A Conceptual Framework For Academic Freedom, Intellectual Property, Technology Transfer and the University Mission

Patrick L. Jones, University of Arizona
Katherine J. Strandburg, DePaul University College of Law

Abstract

In this Article, we provide a conceptual framework for technology transfer grounded in the fundamental purposes of a university -- the creation and dissemination of knowledge in the form of information. We describe how technology transfer activities shift the target audience for knowledge dissemination from traditional university target audiences to organizations with a predominantly economic purpose and different social norms. These shifts trigger a need to bridge differing behavioral expectations. Legal contracts and intellectual property rights can play a significant role in structuring relationships in such a non-traditional knowledge dissemination context. We analyze the role of formal technology transfer involving intellectual property licensing within this framework and provide a view of technology transfer that goes beyond an emphasis on ownership, control, and the quest for revenue and may reduce the tensions within a university between the concepts of academic freedom, intellectual property, technology transfer and the university’s role in society.