Regarding your FrontLines item, "The money-making academy,"1 at first I wondered if it was an April fool's joke, then I realized it was serious. This is an unsupported perpetuation of a myth promulgated by the research university establishment. What evidence is there that the commercial activities of universities have benefited society as a whole? Falling tuition costs? Cheaper drug prices? Reduced university budgets supported by fewer taxpayer dollars? I would argue that, in fact, all of the e

I applaud your continued efforts to bring business and legal issues to the attention of the scientific community.1 However, there are a few points that I wish to make. First, the subhead "Awarding of patent may only reflect who filed first," while titillating, is clearly legally incorrect under U.S. patent law. In the United States the first to invent any new and useful article of manufacture or method is the true inventor and entitled to a patent, if the inventor satisfies the disclosure, descr