One way to deal with the &quot;complexity of the problem&quot; is to actually keep patentability and license out the patents to start-ups or established companies that can actually do something with them. I guess this would require more effort to match up&#x2F;recruit the institution&#x27;s patents (assuming they have any useful ones) to companies that might be interested. But economically, in terms of getting their research translated to the bench more quickly, this is an established model that might be more effective in the long-term.<p>Indeed, &quot;Participation is voluntary, and researchers can pursue patents on their own, but MNI will not pay the fees or help with the paperwork.&quot; This basically shifts responsibility from the institution to the researcher; not sure how this is a good idea.