While I was pleased to read of the expected promise for international space station research in your cover story “U.S. Intellectual Property Rules Hinder Space Station Research” [Dec. 2] and the follow-up in the most recent editorial [“Clear the Barriers to Commercial Research on ISS,” Dec. 9, page 16], I was disappointed that your in-depth coverage paints too broad a brush of the supposed intellectual property (IP) hurdles.
NanoRacks, via its Space Act Agreement with NASA, sought, and received, the very sort of waiver mentioned in the article as necessary to allow for a robust commercial utilization environment to thrive.
For the past four years, our wide range of industry customers, from Fortune 500 companies to international researchers and universities, have made use of a commercial environment onboard the U.S. National Labatory with all IP rights protected. Kudos to NASA for allowing our waiver.
Jeffrey Manber
Houston
The writer is chief executive of NanoRacks LLC.
