Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Nano Patents
Yesterday, the New York Times reported that Harvard University was preparing to license more than 50 of its nanotech patents to a company called Nano-Terra. It could, the article said, transform the small company into the "one of nanotechnology's most closely watched start-ups." The patents largely cover the work by Harvard chemist and nano-advocate George Whitesides and his students. Nano-Terra is apparently not offering any actual products, just manufacturing and design information.
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note to anyone doing social research: "terms of the deal were not disclosed."
ReplyDeleteThe article has a couple of passages that make me think that coverage of nano is starting to improve. First, nano is most relevant right now not as products but as underlying processes and techniques. Second, investment capital is not happily flowing towards it - hence the mention of Nanosys.
Also notice that processes are being patented, not products, which raises questions about "patent thickets" and whether nano-progress will be slowed down.
You know that George Junior is a pro space activist. Funny coincidence!
ReplyDeleteThanks for doing our job for us too.
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