Intellectual Property and Data in Orbit
Who owns the inventions and data generated in orbit, and how should customers protect them?
Chapter summary
under the Outer Space Treaty, a spacecraft remains under the jurisdiction of the state that registers it, so inventions made on a US-registered capsule or module are generally treated as made in the United States for patent purposes, and those on other states' objects under their laws.
Key takeaways
- 1
The ISS has a specific intergovernmental framework for this.
- 2
Contracts between customers, capsule operators and station providers decide ownership of process data, environmental data and improvements.
- 3
Pharma customers should treat microgravity campaigns like contract research: clear ownership of results, confidentiality of molecules and processes, and rules for shared missions.
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The United Kingdom's Pathway for Space-Made Medicines
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