The conflict between the Donald Trump administration and Harvard University is ongoing. As both sides engage in a legal battle, the Trump administration has threatened new sanctions against Harvard.
According to foreign reports on the 9th (local time), U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick sent a letter to Harvard University President Alan Garber on the 8th, notifying him that "an investigation will be conducted regarding the patents held by Harvard."
In the letter, Minister Lutnick claimed that "Harvard has failed to fulfill its obligations to U.S. taxpayers and violated laws regarding federally funded research programs and the patents derived from them."
The U.S. government intends to examine whether Harvard University complies with the Bayh-Dole Act, a 1980 law regulating inventions developed with federal research grants.
This law allows the institution conducting the research to own the intellectual property generated from federally funded research programs, while requiring the institution to explain how the American people benefit from the patents and to disclose a series of information related to other patents.
If Harvard is found to be in violation of its legal obligations, the government could seize ownership of specific patents or grant licenses to third parties. As of July 1 last year, Harvard is reported to hold over 58,000 patents and to generate millions of dollars in revenue through these patents.
Minister Lutnick stated that "Harvard must adhere to rules designed to maximize benefits for the American people," and demanded the submission of a complete list of patents related to federal funding, including usage locations and the conditions of all patent licenses, by the 5th of next month.
The two sides have been fighting since April. At that time, the government announced it would suspend over $2.6 billion (approximately 3.6 trillion won) in federal research funding and revoke Harvard's eligibility for foreign student enrollment. Subsequently, Harvard has filed a lawsuit against the government.