Ohio House Approves Legislation Expanding Protections for Inventions, Patents

COLUMBUS—State Representative Dave Greenspan (R-Westlake) today announced that the Ohio House has passed legislation he sponsored that would expand current law to protect intellectual property resulting from research conducted at charter county hospitals.

Under current law, charter county hospitals do not have protections for inventions, discoveries, or patents created in their facilities. House Bill 453 would permit the same protections given to state universities and colleges and their associated hospitals. The bill ensures that all rights to and income procured from intellectual property belong to the hospital.

“I am pleased to have received overwhelming bipartisan support on House Bill 453,” said Greenspan. “This bill gives charter county hospitals the same rights and protections that others in their industry are already receiving. The passage of this legislation will allow charter county hospitals to be competitive and innovative.”

The legislation specifies that an individual may still profit from the intellectual property, but the charter county hospital must set the terms with the employee.

House Bill 453 passed 90-2 and now awaits consideration by the Ohio Senate.