The Bayh-Dole Coalition Launches to Preserve the Bayh-Dole Act

The Bayh-Dole Coalition Launches to Preserve the Bayh-Dole Act

WASHINGTON (February 4, 2021) – Today, a diverse group of research and scientific organizations, as well as those directly involved in commercializing new products, launched the Bayh-Dole Coalition to protect and defend the University and Small Business Patent Procedures Act of 1980, which is commonly known as the “Bayh-Dole Act.”

The Bayh-Dole Coalition is an expansion of the Bayh-Dole 40 Coalition, and it will continue educating policymakers about the law’s positive impacts — and the consequences of tampering with this historic legislation.

“The Bayh-Dole Act has been a catalyst for innovation in the United States for more than 40 years,” said Bayh-Dole Coalition executive director Joseph P. Allen, who helped draft the law as a member of Senator Birch Bayh’s U.S. Senate Judiciary staff. “And so long as policymakers preserve the legislation the way Senators Bayh and Dole intended, it will continue to spur breakthrough public-private sector collaboration for decades to come.”

Google, the once-a-day pill for HIV, quantum computing, high-definition televisions, and firefighting drones are just a few of the breakthrough technologies discovered and commercialized as a result of the Bayh-Dole Act. And since its passage in 1980, Bayh-Dole has bolstered U.S. economic output by up to $1.7 trillion, supported nearly 6 million jobs, and helped launch more than 13,000 start-ups.

“America leads the world in innovation largely thanks to the public-private sector research and development infrastructure established by Bayh-Dole,” said Allen. “The Bayh-Dole Coalition looks forward to working with lawmakers to maintain this infrastructure and foster the commercialization of even more breakthrough products.”

About the Bayh-Dole Coalition: 
The Bayh-Dole Coalition is a diverse group of research and scientific organizations, as well as those directly involved in commercializing new products, dedicated to protecting the Bayh-Dole Act and educating policymakers about the positive impacts of the legislation.