This Christmas, universities added patents to their wish list. In the latest trend in corporate philanthropy, large companies are giving away millions in unused intellectual property, and walking away with a tax write-off-and plenty of good will.

In October, Procter & Gamble gave 40 U.S. and international patents to the Milwaukee School of Engineering; all the gift-wrapped items are related to a technique to speed up product design. The gift is part of "a comprehensive re-thinking of the way we use our patent rights," says Jacobus Rasswer, P&G vice president and general counsel for patents. Other corporate giants, including DuPont, Dow Chemical and Hoechst, have been in a similarly generous mood (see table on page 2).