Alleged Information Leak At MD Anderson Is Part Of A Broader Threat To US Intellectual Property

[TexasTowelie]

MD Anderson Cancer Center is in the process of firing three scientists for allegedly sharing confidential research information with scientists and others in China.


The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston is in the process of firing three scientists, alleging they were involved in Chinese efforts to “exfiltrate” intellectual property from U.S. taxpayer-funded research.

Mihir Zaveri has been covering the story for The New York Times, and says the National Institutes of Health claims that “researchers in the United States are, in some cases, sending over confidential research [and] intellectual property.” He says if true, it would be part of a greater push by China to get a competitive edge in science and technology sectors.

He says it’s unclear whether any of the three scientists have committed a crime, but the FBI is involved in the investigation. Regardless, MD Anderson claims the scientists violated the institution’s policies.

“They’re one of the biggest public funders of research in the country,” Zaveri says. “If they fund certain research, they have certain policies about confidentiality [and] conflict of interest disclosure.”

Read more: http://www.texasstandard.org/stories/alleged-information-leak-at-md-anderson-is-part-of-a-broader-threat-to-us-intellectual-property/