U.S Code last checked for updates: Apr 28, 2024
§ 209.
Licensing federally owned inventions
(a)
Authority.—
A Federal agency may grant an exclusive or partially exclusive license on a federally owned invention under section 207(a)(2) only if—
(1)
granting the license is a reasonable and necessary incentive to—
(A)
call forth the investment capital and expenditures needed to bring the invention to practical application; or
(B)
otherwise promote the invention’s utilization by the public;
(2)
the Federal agency finds that the public will be served by the granting of the license, as indicated by the applicant’s intentions, plans, and ability to bring the invention to practical application or otherwise promote the invention’s utilization by the public, and that the proposed scope of exclusivity is not greater than reasonably necessary to provide the incentive for bringing the invention to practical application, as proposed by the applicant, or otherwise to promote the invention’s utilization by the public;
(3)
the applicant makes a commitment to achieve practical application of the invention within a reasonable time, which time may be extended by the agency upon the applicant’s request and the applicant’s demonstration that the refusal of such extension would be unreasonable;
(4)
granting the license will not tend to substantially lessen competition or create or maintain a violation of the Federal antitrust laws; and
(5)
in the case of an invention covered by a foreign patent application or patent, the interests of the Federal Government or United States industry in foreign commerce will be enhanced.
(b)
Manufacture in United States.—
A Federal agency shall normally grant a license under section 207(a)(2) to use or sell any federally owned invention in the United States only to a licensee who agrees that any products embodying the invention or produced through the use of the invention will be manufactured substantially in the United States.
(c)
Small Business.—
First preference for the granting of any exclusive or partially exclusive licenses under section 207(a)(2) shall be given to small business firms having equal or greater likelihood as other applicants to bring the invention to practical application within a reasonable time.
(d)
Terms and Conditions.—
Any licenses granted under section 207(a)(2) shall contain such terms and conditions as the granting agency considers appropriate, and shall include provisions—
(1)
retaining a nontransferable, irrevocable, paid-up license for any Federal agency to practice the invention or have the invention practiced throughout the world by or on behalf of the Government of the United States;
(2)
requiring periodic reporting on utilization of the invention, and utilization efforts, by the licensee, but only to the extent necessary to enable the Federal agency to determine whether the terms of the license are being complied with, except that any such report shall be treated by the Federal agency as commercial and financial information obtained from a person and privileged and confidential and not subject to disclosure under
(f)
Plan.—
No Federal agency shall grant any license under a patent or patent application on a federally owned invention unless the person requesting the license has supplied the agency with a plan for development or marketing of the invention, except that any such plan shall be treated by the Federal agency as commercial and financial information obtained from a person and privileged and confidential and not subject to disclosure under section 552 of title 5.
(Added Pub. L. 96–517, § 6(a), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 3024; amended Pub. L. 106–404, § 4(a), Nov. 1, 2000, 114 Stat. 1743; Pub. L. 107–273, div. C, title III, § 13206(a)(15), Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1905; Pub. L. 112–29, § 20(i)(3), Sept. 16, 2011, 125 Stat. 335.)
cite as: 35 USC 209