What is the Bayh-Dole Act?

The Bayh-Dole Act or Patent and Trademark Law Amendments Act (35 U.S.C. § 200-212) was passed in 1980 and is the legal framework that allowed universities and others conducting research with federal funds to acquire ownership of inventions developed with such funding. This law formed the basis of university technology transfer as it currently exists.

The Act and its implementing regulations (37 C.F.R. § 401) define the rights and obligations associated with the commercialization of inventions developed using federal funding.