§784.12. Terms and conditions of waivers. — Inbound Citations

(b) Waivers may be granted as to all or any part of the rights of the United States to an invention subject to certain rights retained by the United States as set forth in § 784.12 of this part. The scope of the waiver will depend upon the relationship of the contractual situation or identified invention to considerations set forth in §§ 784.4 or 784.5, and 784.6, if applicable, in order to best achieve the objectives set forth in § 784.3. For example, waivers may be restricted to a particular field of use in which the contractor has substantial equities or a commercial position, or restricted to those uses that are not the primary object of the contract effort. Waivers may also be made effective for a specified duration of time, may be limited to particular geographic locations, may require the contractor to license others at reduced royalties in consideration of the Government's contribution to the research, development, or demonstration effort, or may require return of a portion of the royalties or revenue to the Government.

(b) A request for an advance waiver should be submitted to the Contracting Officer (subcontractors may submit through their prime contractors) at any time prior to execution of the contract or subcontract, or within thirty days thereafter, or within such longer period as may be authorized by Patent Counsel for good cause shown in writing. If the purpose, scope, or cost of the contract is substantially altered by modification or extension after the waiver is granted, a new waiver request will be required. When advance waivers are granted, the provisions of the “Patent Rights—Waiver” clause set forth in § 784.12 shall be used in contracts which are the subject of the waivers, unless modified with the approval of the Patent Counsel to conform to the scope of the waiver granted. (See § 784.12.) Advance waivers may be requested for all inventions which may be conceived or first actually reduced to practice under a DOE contract. An advance waiver may also be requested for an identified invention conceived by the contractor before the contract but which may be first actually reduced to practice under the contract. Such waiver request must include a copy of any patent or patent application covering the identified invention, or if no patent application has been filed, a complete description of the invention.