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It is difficult to compare the differences between Cambridge's and Massachusetts Institute of Technology's intellectual property rights policies, because the two universities are so different ("Cambridge outrage ill-founded", THES , September 13; Letters, September 20). MIT is a private US institution that receives government funding mainly through research grants. Cambridge gets government funding via several routes.

MIT owns the IPR resulting from all government-funded research. Cambridge's ownership of such IPR depends on the funding route. The present proposal would result in a more consistent ownership, like that at MIT.

Lita Nelsen

Director, Technology Licensing Office, MIT