I am not so sure, at least for properly tangible patents. There are considerable risks and costs to developing a technology from a demonstration in a universit

I am not so sure, at least for properly tangible patents. There are considerable risks and costs to developing a technology from a demonstration in a university department to something marketable. If companies especially of small to medium size, or their investors, don't have patent protection they may consider the investment not worth the risk of being "beaten to the punch". A university granting royalty free IP may be the best of both worlds in terms of openness and practicality. IP is free to anyone willing to take the risk but then they get to take a crack at it knowing the idea is protected.