One example is a hepatitis B vaccine developed by University of
California scientists.
Another is various types of strawberries perfected by
pomologists working for the UC.
And a third is a specific type of inner-ear implant.
These are examples of the 390 inventions for which the UC
received patents in 2005, making it the university that collected
the most patents in the nation for the 12th consecutive year.
In rankings released last week, the United States Patent and
Trademark Office placed the UC atop a list of 10 American
universities, which included the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, the California Institute of Technology and Stanford
University.
“Groundbreaking discoveries and patented inventions
generated by innovative minds at academic institutions have paid
enormous dividends, improving the lives and livelihoods of
generations of Americans,” said Under Secretary of Commerce
for Intellectual Property, Jon Dudas, in a statement.
At 390, the 10-campus UC received nearly triple the patents of
the next university on the list, which was the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology with 136 patents, according to a press
release issued by the United States Patent and Trademark
Office.
After MIT, the number of patents received by universities ranged
from 41 to 101, with Cornell University ranking 10th on the
list.
Topping the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s
annual list is nothing new for the UC, as it has done so for the
past 12 years.
UC spokesman Trey Davis said the UC’s high number of
patents is one gauge of the university’s continuing positive
impact on the state.
“Patents are just one measure of the value of UC research
and the university’s role in sustaining California’s
competitiveness in the global marketplace,” Davis said.
“The products and technologies that are ultimately
developed from patented discoveries represent an important
contribution to the state’s economic vitality and the quality
of life of Californians everywhere.”
Though handily topping all comparable universities, the number
of patents the UC received actually decreased in 2005.
After steadily increasing over the past several years ““
from 300 in 2002, 323 in 2003 and 424 in 2004 ““ the UC
patented 34 fewer inventions in 2005 than in 2004.