Tēnā koe Ed

I acknowledge receipt of your Official Information Act request.

If we have any questions or need to seek clarification on any points we will be in touch soon. Otherwise, we will seek to respond to your request as soon as practicable and no later than 20 working days after the date your request was received (by 8 August 2024). If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will notify you of an extension of this timeframe.

Ngā mihi
Kelsey

Kelsey Kennard (she/her)
Official Information and Compliance Coordinator | Kaituitui Pārongo Ōkawa me te Tautukunga

University of Otago | Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka
Office of the Registrar and Secretary to the Council | Te Tari o Te Pouroki me te Kaituhi ki te Kaunihera
[University of Otago request email]

Kia ora Ed

 

Thank you for sending through the attached Official Information Act
request. We have responded to your queries in the order in which they
appear in your email.

 

 1. We request a current copy of the IP registry

 

There are no entries in the IP register. We therefore refuse your request
under s 18(e) on the basis that the information requested does not exist.

 

 2. We request any documents related to any licensing to date of IP from
the registry.

 

Genomics Aotearoa have advised:

 

o They have never licensed any IP from the IP register.
o By way of background, Genomics Aotearoa (GA) is a research
infrastructure platform charged with funding science that builds
genomic infrastructure and trains researchers in genomics and
bioinformatics techniques. It is comprised of a consortium of 10
partners: 5 universities and 5 CRIs: University of Auckland, Waikato
University, Massey University, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of
Wellington, University of Otago, AgResearch, Institute of
Environmental Science and Research, Scion, Plant and Food Research,
and Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research.
o Their aim is to improve the use of genomics and bioinformatics for the
benefit of New Zealand and as such they generally operate within an
Open Science framework and develop open-source software and laboratory
protocols. It is very unusual for them to develop protected IP as this
can be contrary to their purpose to benefit New Zealand. Tools and
techniques they have developed are freely available via their GitHub
site: [1]https://github.com/GenomicsAotearoa, while lab protocols are
available at [2]https://www.protocols.io and are listed at
[3]https://genomicsaotearoa.github.io/ga-pr....
o Should any IP of a commercial nature be developed, this is owned by
the parties that created it, namely one or more of their partners
listed above. Should you be interested in any specific piece of IP
that may have been developed by one of Genomic Aotearoa’s partners, GA
suggest you contact the organisation(s) directly.

 

 3. We request any documents having to do with the process by which
individuals or groups not affiliated with Genomics Aotearoa are
expected to demonstrate how "it can be shown that there will be
greater impact and benefit for New Zealand in making that IP freely
available to a company or individual outside of GA.”  

 

No such documents exist, and we therefore refuse your request under s
18(e). However, Genomics Aotearoa reiterates the context outlined above.

 

 4. We request any documents having to do with the process by which GA
members demonstrate how their use of IP will provide impact and
benefit for New Zealand.

 

Aside from the Intellectual Property Management Strategy, no such
documents exist. We therefore refuse your request under s 18(e).

 

Ngā mihi

 

[4]University of Otago KARI SCHMIDT
Senior Solicitor | Tautīnei Ture Matua

On Behalf of Manager Policy and Compliance
Office of the Registrar | Te Tari Rehita
University of Otago | Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka
New Zealand | Aotearoa

 

References

Visible links
1. https://github.com/GenomicsAotearoa
2. https://www.protocols.io/
3. https://genomicsaotearoa.github.io/ga-pr...

Kia ora Ed

Thank you for your further queries.

In relation to your first query, we do not believe this constitutes a request for official information under the Official Information Act 1982. Rather, this query requires Genomics Aotearoa to form an opinion or provide an explanation and to create new information to answer the request. This is not official information according to the Ombudsman’s guidance (https://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/site...) and we refuse the request on that basis.

I can confirm that Genomics Aotearoa do not use the “official” Open Science Framework you have linked to below.

Ngâ mihi

KARI SCHMIDT
Senior Solicitor | Tautînei Ture Matua
On Behalf of Manager Policy and Compliance
Office of the Registrar | Te Tari Rehita
University of Otago | Ôtâkou Whakaihu Waka
New Zealand | Aotearoa

Email/Îmera: [email address]

-----Original Message-----
From: Ed Fogerty <[FOI #27567 email]>
Sent: Sunday, August 18, 2024 3:01 PM
To: UoO - Official Information Act <[University of Otago request email]>
Subject: Re: Official Information request - Documents relating to Genomics Aotearoa IP

Dear UoO - Official Information Act,

To ensure that my understanding of the response is clear, would you please either confirm or clarify this summary (in quotation marks below).

"None of the documents requested exist. Genomics Aotearoa generally operates under an Open Science framework. At the same time, it is possible that one or more of the Genomics Aotearoa consortia partners has used Genomics Aotearoa funding to develop intellectual property that is not disclosed on the non-existent Genomics Aotearoa IP registry."

Would you also clarify whether or not Genomics Aotearoa uses the official Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/) tools? If they do, I request links to Genomics Aotearoa resources at Open Science Framework sites.

Yours sincerely,

Ed Fogerty

-----Original Message-----

Kia ora Ed

Thank you for sending through the attached Official Information Act request. We have responded to your queries in the order in which they appear in your email.

1. We request a current copy of the IP registry

There are no entries in the IP register. We therefore refuse your request under s 18(e) on the basis that the information requested does not exist.

2. We request any documents related to any licensing to date of IP from the registry.

Genomics Aotearoa have advised:

o They have never licensed any IP from the IP register.
o By way of background, Genomics Aotearoa (GA) is a research infrastructure platform charged with funding science that builds genomic infrastructure and trains researchers in genomics and bioinformatics techniques. It is comprised of a consortium of 10
partners: 5 universities and 5 CRIs: University of Auckland, Waikato University, Massey University, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, University of Otago, AgResearch, Institute of Environmental Science and Research, Scion, Plant and Food Research, and Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research.
o Their aim is to improve the use of genomics and bioinformatics for the benefit of New Zealand and as such they generally operate within an Open Science framework and develop open-source software and laboratory protocols. It is very unusual for them to develop protected IP as this can be contrary to their purpose to benefit New Zealand. Tools and techniques they have developed are freely available via their GitHub
site: [1]https://github.com/GenomicsAotearoa, while lab protocols are available at [2]https://www.protocols.io/ and are listed at [3]https://genomicsaotearoa.github.io/ga-pr....
o Should any IP of a commercial nature be developed, this is owned by the parties that created it, namely one or more of their partners listed above. Should you be interested in any specific piece of IP that may have been developed by one of Genomic Aotearoa’s partners, GA suggest you contact the organisation(s) directly.

3. We request any documents having to do with the process by which individuals or groups not affiliated with Genomics Aotearoa are expected to demonstrate how "it can be shown that there will be greater impact and benefit for New Zealand in making that IP freely available to a company or individual outside of GA.”

No such documents exist, and we therefore refuse your request under s 18(e). However, Genomics Aotearoa reiterates the context outlined above.

4. We request any documents having to do with the process by which GA members demonstrate how their use of IP will provide impact and benefit for New Zealand.

Aside from the Intellectual Property Management Strategy, no such documents exist. We therefore refuse your request under s 18(e).

Ngâ mihi

[4]University of Otago KARI SCHMIDT
Senior Solicitor | Tautînei Ture Matua

On Behalf of Manager Policy and Compliance Office of the Registrar | Te Tari Rehita University of Otago | Ôtâkou Whakaihu Waka New Zealand | Aotearoa

References

Visible links
1. https://github.com/GenomicsAotearoa
2. https://www.protocols.io/
3. https://genomicsaotearoa.github.io/ga-pr...

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