State Rep. Adam Mathews | The Ohio House of Representatives
State Rep. Adam Mathews | The Ohio House of Representatives
House Resolution 562, aimed at safeguarding innovators' rights, was presented for its initial hearing in the Economic and Workforce Development Committee on Tuesday. The resolution is introduced by State Representative and intellectual property attorney Adam Mathews from Lebanon.
The purpose of the resolution is to uphold innovation and ensure access to various products as originally intended by the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980. This act has been instrumental in supporting manufacturing growth and facilitating the licensing of government-funded research to private entities. However, a proposal by the Biden-Harris Administration poses a threat to existing patents.
"Intellectual property rights are fundamental to American progress and are enshrined in the United States Constitution," stated Mathews. "Despite this, the federal government has continued its attempts to overreach and claim what does not belong to it."
The 'march-in rights' provision of the Bayh-Dole Act limits when the federal government can reclaim or relicense patents that utilized any level of federal funding. The current administration seeks to expand this provision, allowing the government to take patent rights from owners and transfer them to others.
"House Resolution 562 is the Ohio House’s response to a dangerous proposal from the White House," said Mathews. "It’s our responsibility to stop the overreach in government in Ohio’s innovation sector."