A judge directed Taborsky not to use the data. But he applied for and received patents. After refusing to sign the patents over to USF, he was sent to prison, where he was placed on a chain gang. But the school probably owned the rights, he adds. Such disputes are rare at Cal Tech, he says.
Experts say very few university inventions make significant revenue.
But as university funding decreases and the number of joint research projects grows, Taborsky's case may become more common.