The U.S. Commerce Department initiated a comprehensive review of Harvard University’s federally funded patents, accusing the university of failing to meet obligations under the Bayh-Dole Act and warning it may exercise rarely-invoked march-in authorities. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s letter to President Alan Garber flagged potential noncompliance and opened a probe that could lead to federal licensing of university-held inventions. Harvard and tech-transfer experts warned that such a move would set a landmark precedent, raising concerns across research universities and industry partners about the security of university IP and the chilling effect on licensing and commercialization. Patent attorneys said a government seizure of patents would be an unprecedented intervention in the university-industry tech-transfer model established over four decades.