A proposal in Arizona to allow universities to enter partnerships with corporations was defeated despite no organized opposition and widespread support from prominent groups and top elected officials from both political parties. The proposition, defeated 52 to 48%, was to amend the Arizona Constitution, which prohibits the state government from becoming a shareholder or joint owner in a company.
Proposition 102 would have allowed the state to license or transfer interests in technology or intellectual property created by the state’s universities. Officials of Arizona’s three universities said most states have no such restrictions.
Only one person submitted a statement of opposition, claiming the proposal could lead to human cloning. Really? It could lead to human cloning? While there are some reasons for not wanting a state to get entangled in corporate ownership, e.g., conflicts of interest and fiduciary duty, human cloning isn’t one of them. This is a good illustration of how the general public doesn’t understand university research or the process of tech transfer. See more details here.
