---
kind: "section"
citation: "15 U.S.C. § 5104"
title: "15"
title_heading: "Commerce and Trade"
number: "5104"
heading: "Protection of proprietary rights"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/15/5104"
units:
  - "Chapter 77 — Steel and Aluminum Energy Conservation and Technology Competitiveness"
---

# §5104. Protection of proprietary rights

- (a) **Proprietary rights—** No trade secrets or commercial or financial information that is privileged or confidential, under the meaning of [section 552(b)(4) of title 5](/usc/5/552.md?p=b-4) which is obtained from a [domestic company](/usc/15/5102.md?p=2) shall be disclosed in the conduct of the [management plan](/usc/15/5102.md?p=3) or [research plan](/usc/15/5102.md?p=4), or as a result of activities under this chapter.
- (b) **Patent rights vested in United States—** All patent rights from inventions developed under the [management plan](/usc/15/5102.md?p=3) or the [research plan](/usc/15/5102.md?p=4) implemented pursuant to this chapter shall be vested in accordance with [section 5908 of title 42](/usc/42/5908.md).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 100–680, § 5, Nov. 17, 1988, 102 Stat. 4075.)