According to the U.S. Patent Office, a Wisconsin foundation has the right to royalties that might be generated by stem cell therapies. But there are signs that a worldwide battle on that issue is already taking shape. The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, known as WARF, holds among its 40 stem cell patents a basic one that broadly covers the preparation of embryonic stem cells. Basic patents, often the underpinnings of whole new industries, are highly prized and frequently contested.
Office of Strategic Communication