[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 43, Volume 1]
[Revised as of October 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 43CFR6.5]

[Page 170-171]
 
                    TITLE 43--PUBLIC LANDS: INTERIOR
 
PART 6--PATENT REGULATIONS--Table of Contents
 
                   Subpart A--Inventions by Employees
 
Sec. 6.5  Rights in inventions.

    (a) The rules prescribed in this section shall be applied in 
determining the respective rights of the Government and of an employee 
of the Department in and to any invention made by the employee.
    (b)(1) Except as indicated in the succeeding paragraphs, (b) (1) 
through (4), of this section, the Government shall obtain the entire 
domestic right, title, and interest in and to any invention made by an 
employee of the Department
    (i) During working hours, or
    (ii) With a contribution by the Government of facilities, equipment, 
materials, funds, or information, or of time or services of other 
government employees on official duty, or
    (iii) Which bears a direct relation to or is made in consequence of 
the official duties of the inventor.
    (2) In any case where the contribution of the Government, as 
measured by any one or more of the criteria set forth in paragraph 
(b)(1) of this section, to the invention is insufficient equitably to 
justify a requirement of assignment to the Government of the entire 
domestic right, title, and interest in and to such invention, or in any 
case where the Government has insufficient interest in an invention to 
obtain the entire domestic right, title, and interest therein (although 
the Government could obtain same under paragraph (b)(1) of this 
section), the Solicitor, subject to the approval of the Commissioner, 
shall leave title to such invention in the employee, subject, however, 
to the reservation to the Government of a nonexclusive, irrevocable, 
royalty-free license in the invention with power to grant sublicenses 
for all governmental purposes, such reservation, in the terms thereof, 
to appear, where practicable, in any patent, domestic or foreign, which 
may issue on such invention.
    (3) In applying the provisions of paragraphs (b) (1) and (2) of this 
section to the facts and circumstances relating to the making of any 
particular invention, it shall be presumed that any invention made by an 
employee who is employed or assigned (i) to invent or improve or perfect 
any art, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or (ii) to 
conduct or perform research, development work, or both, or (iii) to 
supervise, direct, coordinate, or review Government financed or 
conducted research, development work, or both, or (iv) to act in a 
liaison capacity among governmental or nongovernmental agencies or 
individuals engaged in such work, falls within the provisions of 
paragraph (b)(1) of this section, and it shall be presumed that any 
invention made by any other employee falls within the provisions of 
paragraph (b)(2) of this section. Either presumption may be rebutted by 
a showing of the facts and circumstances in the case and shall not 
preclude a determination that these facts and circumstances justify 
leaving the entire right, title and interest in and to the invention in 
the government employee, subject to law.
    (4) In any case wherein the Government neither (i) obtains the 
entire domestic right, title, and interest in and to an invention 
pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (b)(1) of this section, nor (ii) 
reserves a nonexclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free license in the 
invention, with power to grant sublicenses for all governmental 
purposes,

[[Page 171]]

pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (b)(2) of this section, the 
Solicitor, subject to the approval of the Commissioner, shall leave the 
entire right, title, and interest in and to the invention in the 
employee, subject to law.
    (c) In the event that the Solicitor determines, pursuant to 
paragraph (b) (2) or (4) of this section, that title to an invention 
will be left with an employee, the Solicitor shall notify the employee 
of this determination and promptly prepare, and preserve in appropriate 
files, accessible to the Commissioner, a written signed, and dated 
statement concerning the invention including the following:
    (1) A description of the invention in sufficient detail to identify 
the invention and show the relationship to the employee's duties and 
work assignment;
    (2) The name of the employee and his employment status, including a 
detailed statement of his official duties and responsibilities at the 
time the invention was made; and
    (3) A statement of the Solicitor's determination and reasons 
therefor. The Solicitor shall, subject to considerations of national 
security, or public health, safety, or welfare, submit to the 
Commissioner a copy of this written statement. This submittal in a case 
falling within the provisions of paragraph (b) (2) of this section shall 
be made after the expiration of the period prescribed in Sec. 6.6 for 
the taking of an appeal, or it may be made prior to the expiration of 
such period if the employees acquiesces in the Solicitor's 
determination. The Commissioner thereupon shall review the determination 
of the Solicitor and the Commissioner's decision respecting the matter 
shall be final, subject to the right of the employee or the Solicitor to 
submit to the Commissioner within 30 days (or such longer period as the 
Commissioner may, for good cause, shown in writing, fix in any case) 
after receiving notice of such decision, a petition for the 
reconsideration of the decision. A copy of such petition must also be 
filed by the inventor with the Solicitor within the prescribed period.