[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: 43CFR6.6]

[Page 171-172]
 
                    TITLE 43--PUBLIC LANDS: INTERIOR
 
PART 6--PATENT REGULATIONS--Table of Contents
 
                   Subpart A--Inventions by Employees
 
Sec. 6.6  Appeals by employees.

    (a) Any employee who is aggrieved by a determination of the 
Solicitor pursuant to Sec. 6.5(b) (1) or (2) may obtain a review of the 
determination by filing, 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 determination, two copies of an appeal with the 
Commissioner. The Commissioner then shall forward one copy of the appeal 
to the Solicitor.
    (b) On receipt of a copy of an appeal filed pursuant to paragraph 
(a) of this section, the Solicitor shall, subject to considerations of 
national security, or public health, safety, or welfare, promptly 
furnish both the Commissioner and the inventor with a copy of a report 
containing the following information about the invention involved in the 
appeal:
    (1) A copy of a statement containing the information specified in 
Sec. 6.5(c), and
    (2) A detailed statement of the points of dispute or controversy, 
together with copies of any statements or written arguments that may 
have been filed, and of any other relevant evidence that the Solicitor 
considered in making his determination of Government interest. Within 25 
days (or such longer period as the Commissioner may, for good cause 
shown, fix in any case) after the transmission of a copy of the 
Solicitor's report to the employee, the employee may file a reply 
thereto with the Commissioner and file one copy thereof with the 
Solicitor.
    (c) After the time for the employee's reply to the Solicitor's 
report has expired and if the employee has so requested in his appeal, a 
date will be set for the hearing of oral arguments by the employee (or 
by an attorney whom he designates by written power of attorney filed 
before, or at the hearing) and the Solicitor. Unless it shall be 
otherwise ordered before the hearing begins, oral arguments will be 
limited to thirty minutes for each side. The employee need not retain an 
attorney or request an oral hearing to secure full consideration of the 
facts and his arguments. He may expedite such consideration by notifying 
the Commissioner when he does not intend to file a reply to the 
Solicitor's report.

[[Page 172]]

    (d) After a hearing on the appeal, if a hearing was requested, or 
after expiration of the period for the inventor's reply to the 
Solicitor's report, if no hearing is set, the Commissioner shall issue a 
decision on the matter, which decision shall be final after the period 
for asking reconsideration expires or on the date that a decision on a 
petition for reconsideration is finally disposed of. Any request for 
reconsideration or modification of the decision must be filed within 30 
days from the date of the original decision (or within such an extension 
thereof as may be set by the Commissioner before the original period 
expires). The Com- missioner's decision shall be made after 
consideration of the statements of fact in the employee's appeal, the 
Solicitor's report, and the employee's reply, but the Commissioner, at 
his discretion and with due respect to the rights and convenience of the 
inventor and the Solicitor, may call for further statements on specific 
questions of fact or may request additional evidence in the form of 
affidavits or depositions on specific facts in dispute.