Researchers protest against innovative medicines initiative
Claim it insufficiently protects their intellectual property
A group of researchers and biotechnology companies have protested to the European Commission against the European Union’s (EU) Innovative Medicines Joint Technology Initiative (IMI), claiming it insufficiently protects their intellectual property.
A joint statement was released by the European University Association (EUA); research and technology organisation federation EARTO; German biotechnology association BIO Deutschland; and similar national associations from Belgium, Spain and Sweden.
The group claims complex and weak IP protection for participants and ‘unattractive funding’ have dissuaded small-and-medium-sized businesses, universities and research organisations from participating.
The IMI has already launched two calls for research proposals and is preparing a third. ‘Participation…has been well below potential,’ said the statement, which added: ‘The programme is unlikely to achieve its objectives if participation remains sub-optimal.’
The initiative’s joint undertaking governing board is reviewing its intellectual property policy and funding rules for reimbursing indirect costs. The group has called for:
• A reasonable definition of research use and access rights for third parties;
• Less extensive access rights to IP for participants and their affiliates or ‘better control of access rights by the owner’;
• Fair conditions for accessing IP, involving time limits, requests in writing, fair and reasonable terms rather than royalty-free; and
• More balanced and reasonable licensing, assignment and other asset disposal.