Applying Patent Laws and Regulations to Educational Technology
European universities have increased their emphasis on commercializing original research so as to compete globally, to keep-up with changing demands of the knowledge economy, to offset decreased public funding, and to cope with the massification of education. “Commercializing” in this sense implies applying for patents. This chapter highlights the application of patent laws in the UK and Europe to educational technology. One of the most promising conditions under which patent law can be applied in educational technology is the peer-to-patent, originally introduced in the U.S. Another is expert-peer online assessment for resolving online disputes. The post-and-vote formula should be considered if this initiative is restarted in the future.