Trump Threatens Harvard Over Patents and Research

• Harvard is threatened with patent annulments due to legal violations.
• The university has until March 5 to provide clarification.
• Trump's administration is unraveling like a thread at Harvard.

The Trump administration has launched a new campaign against Harvard University, accusing it of legal violations related to federal funding of research. In a letter addressed to the university president Alan Garber, the Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo demands confirmation of compliance with the Bayh-Dole Act, which regulates patents for research funded by federal dollars.

The university received a deadline of March 5 for providing clarification, otherwise the government may seize patent rights, which are valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars. In the event of non-compliance, the government also has the right to issue licenses to third parties, which could negatively impact Harvard's financial indicators.

Harvard denies all accusations and asserts that it complies with all requirements of the Bayh-Dole Act, ensuring access to innovations created with federal funding. The university also considers Trump's administration's actions unprecedented and aggressive towards the educational institution.

Furthermore, a federal court in the USA blocked the ban on the admission of foreign students to Harvard, which the Trump administration sought to impose. In July 2025, the Department of Homeland Security removed Harvard's ability to participate in the student exchange program.

Tags: USA/Politics