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Between June and September 2024, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) accepted public comments on the need for a statutory law to allow an experimental use exception for products protected by utility patents. This issue arose from conflicting court rulings on whether scientific research on patented products is patent infringement. Agricultural crops became subject to these concerns in the 1980s when utility patents were applied to living organisms. Previously, crops were protected by the Plant Variety Protection Act (PVPA), which allowed research exceptions and breeding of new varieties without licensing fees. Utility patents, however, prohibit these practices. While intended to encourage innovation, utility patents on crops are increasingly seen as restrictive.

This presentation will describe Dr. Glenna’s research that led to advocating for a research exemption and suggest policy changes, including reconsidering utility patents on agricultural crops.

Leland Glenna is a Professor of Rural Sociology and Science, Technology & Society at The Pennsylvania State University. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri in 1997, an M.Div. from Harvard University in 1992, and a B.A. from Hamline University in 1989. His research focuses on the social and environmental impacts of agricultural sciences and technologies, especially the role of science and technology in agricultural and natural resource policymaking. Additionally, he examines the ethical implications of democratizing scientific research. Glenna has contributed to a report for the National Academies of Sciences on genetically engineered crops, and he has served as the president of the Agriculture, Food, and Human Values Society.

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Supported by a grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts Broadband Access Initiative, this report develops a framework for the assessment of the effects of the Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act of 2021 on high-speed Internet access, digital equity, and community development. With the funding authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act 2021 (Infrastructure Act), the federal government, states, and communities will have a window of opportunity to close digital connectivity gaps improve digital equity, and to transform communities. The scale and diversity of current federal, state, and local policy initiatives creates a needs transparency and accountability to assure the responsible use of public funds.

Even though the Infrastructure Act and NTIA implementation guidelines supply an integrative framework, states and territories have developed varying models to meet their specific needs. Given the many challenges of such a large-scale effort, it is to be expected that some will be more effective than others. If properly monitored and evaluated, these variations can be translated into knowledge that can help improve all programs for the remaining duration of the program. The first report from the project, released today, develops principles to ease the burden on eligible entities of meeting their statutory reporting requirements and to guide data collection, program monitoring, and impact evaluation going forward.

For more information see quello.msu.edu/iija-assessment

From Left to Right- Johannes Bauer, MSU Professor
Charlotte Bewersdorff, VP Community Engagement, Merit Network
Roger Blake, CEO, Merit Network
Kevin Guskiewicz, MSU President
Keith Hampton, Director of Academic Research, Quello Center

𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: Tuesday, September 10, 2024

After two years, Project MOON-Light, a network-wide, significant upgrade of Michigan’s middle mile Internet infrastructure, was completed. MOON-Light is a collaboration between Michigan State University, Merit Network, and the Quello Center. It was supported in part by a grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Broadband Infrastructure Program. The enhanced middle mile capabilities will enable local internet service providers to connect residents and businesses in unserved areas of the state and improve the quality of service to areas that are currently served by lower access speed and quality of service. Representatives from the Quello Center, Michigan State University, Merit Network, NTIA, Merit Network member organizations, and internet service providers, celebrated the completion of the project with an event at Michigan State University.

The recording of our live-streamed the event  can be watched here: https://hubs.la/Q02PcqlQ0

It builds on the findings of a study on Broadband and Student Performance Gaps released in the weeks before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (Hampton et al., 2020). That report highlighted the low levels of broadband access by rural Michigan students and the detrimental impact from a lack of access on their academic performance, educational aspirations, career choices, and general well-being. In 2022, we returned to the same schools that we first surveyed in 2019. We asked students about their experience with Internet technologies and with learning from home during the pandemic. Our findings paint a picture of how rural school districts and other stakeholders rapidly mobilized to address a national crisis. In a remarkably short period of time, schools accessed state and federal resources to close gaps in rural Internet access and computing devices.

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The Digital Opportunities Compass offers a framework to assist in the development of state plans that meet the reporting and assessment requirements of IIJA and DEA but go beyond access and affordability to fully harness the benefits of digital technology. As communities and states develop plans to improve digital equity, it is important to establish a shared framework to establish goals and priorities, to identify opportunities, and monitor progress toward these goals.