White House Threatens to Seize Hundreds of Millions in Licenses from Harvard University

The Donald Trump administration has threatened to seize hundreds of millions of dollars in licenses from Harvard University, accusing the institution of failing to comply with federal research grant regulations. The corresponding letter was made public by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnik.

According to the head of the department, an "immediate and comprehensive review" of Harvard's adherence to federal law regarding the Bayh-Dole Act or the licensing law has been initiated. The university must begin fulfilling its obligations to American taxpayers by September 5, reports DW.

If not, as Lutnik writes, Harvard's licenses will be transferred to third parties, and the ownership rights to the inventions developed in violation of the law will be confiscated by the institution.

Among the requirements are timely disclosure of information about inventions, prioritizing manufacturing in the U.S., and more effective measures to make the university's developments more applicable. Additionally, by September 5, the university must provide a detailed list of all licenses obtained from the federal budget and information on how they are currently being utilized, what licensing agreements exist, and with whom they are being operated.