The NRC (and their provincial affiliates) work closely with private sector groups; and make no mistake, the outside group pays for the services provided - they are the client. Further, it is the client that details the nature of the 'problem' to be resolved and the goals sought.
I know how IP and private information works. I work for a pharmaceutical. This is not the issue at all.
But, whether or not private companies are involved or not is not the underlying issue here. Whether it's the gvt or a private entity that engages the work, the staff that are hired to do the research - they are a service provider and the research they are providing is the sole property of the payor.
I don't think you have a very good grasp of what is going on here. It's far more nuanced than this.
If Andreas Muenchow (the physical oceanographer at the University of Delaware) wants ownership of that data/research for their own ends, the solution is simple - put up the cash to fund the research themselves and they can do whatever they want with the information
You should do some more reading on this subject. If Muenchow works in any way with colleagues at DFO, regardless of whether she is funding it entirely or not, the new rules state that DFO must review any submissions, and that they have the final say on whether or not the research gets published.
If there is no intellectual property, privacy, or sensitive business information involved, then tax payer funded research should be made available for all. As Niflmir pointed out, Canada stands alone in this regard when viewed with our OECD partners.
This is nothing more than politcal wrangling. If there were any questions about data ownership or intellectual property, then that would be another story. The leaked documents available clearly show that the Government is intending to control research that has consequences on policy.
Here's a simple question. Why should we discourage other scientists from seeking out subject matter experts in Canada for collaborative research? A simple follow up. What do we gain by discouraging research that is in the public interest?
