Recent Experiences in Policy Implementation of Socially Responsible Licensing in Select Universities Across Europe and North America : Identifying Key Provisions to Promote Global Access to Health Technologies

Intellectual property (IP) management at universities and public research institutions (PRIs) has the potential to enable or restrict access to university-derived health technologies in all countries, but most notably low-resource settings. Given their fundamental role in research, as well as their responsibility to prioritize public interests in research and innovation, several leading universities across the United States, Canada and Europe have adopted socially responsible licensing (SRL) policies for the industrial development of their biomedical research. This study aimed to: 1. Assemble experiences of universities and their Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) in implementing SRL policies, and 2. Identify key provisions and clauses adopted within universities’ legal frameworks to promote global access to licensed health technologies derived from publicly-funded research