萌妹社区

According to research by Professor Seokbeom Kwon from the Department of Systems Management Engineering, the contribution of government research support to patented technologies has been underestimated. The study reveals that the higher the private stakes in the exclusive use of a research outcome are, the more likely it is that government research support is not credited in the resulting patents. This research was published as a solo-authored paper by Professor Kwon in Science on August 30.

The government has implemented various policy measures, including research funding, provision of technological infrastructure, and personnel support, to promote basic science and technological innovation therefrom. Research outcomes derived from this support can lead to patents, and the government requires that such patents explicitly acknowledge its support by law. This requirement is a regulatory mechanism designed to ensure that the government retains the right to utilize the patent to serve the public interest. 

However, the study shows that patents frequently failed to comply with this rule.

Analyzing about 84,000 U.S. patents and corresponding research papers, Professor Kwon found that approximately 30% of the patents on government-sponsored research failed to disclose government research supports. This omission was particularly prevalent in patents with significant private stakes involved. For example, when a company owned the patent or when both the company and the government provided funding, the more valuable the technology or its economic potential, the more frequently the government support acknowledgment was omitted.

Professor Kwon suggests that these findings indicate the government’s contribution to technological innovation may have been underestimated. When government support is not properly acknowledged, it not only underestimates the government’s role in scientific and technological advancements but also constrains the government’s ability to exercise its rights to use the patent for public benefit.

Professor Kwon stated, “Acknowledging government research support in patents is a crucial institutional instrument that ensures the government can utilize the research outcomes for the public good. This study is expected to serve as evidence supporting the need for a systematic monitoring and relevant enforcement mechanism to ensure proper acknowledgment of government support in patents.”

鈥� Paper: Underappreciated government research support in patents

鈥� Journal: Science

鈥� DOI: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ado1078

鈻� Comparison of likelihood of acknowledging US government research support in patents

鈻� Comparison of Economic and Technical Value of Patents