---
kind: "section"
citation: "35 U.S.C. § 200"
title: "35"
title_heading: "Patents"
number: "200"
heading: "Policy and objective"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/35/200"
units:
  - "Part II — Patentability of Inventions and Grant of Patents"
  - "Chapter 18 — Patent Rights in Inventions Made with Federal Assistance"
---

# §200. Policy and objective


It is the policy and objective of the Congress to use the patent system to promote the utilization of [inventions](/usc/35/201.md?p=d) arising from federally supported research or development; to encourage maximum participation of [small business firms](/usc/35/201.md?p=h) in federally supported research and development efforts; to promote collaboration between commercial concerns and [nonprofit organizations](/usc/35/201.md?p=i), including universities; to ensure that [inventions](/usc/35/201.md?p=d) made by [nonprofit organizations](/usc/35/201.md?p=i) and [small business firms](/usc/35/201.md?p=h) are used in a manner to promote free competition and enterprise without unduly encumbering future research and discovery; to promote the commercialization and public availability of [inventions](/usc/35/201.md?p=d) made in the [United States](/usc/35/100.md?p=c) by [United States](/usc/35/100.md?p=c) industry and labor; to ensure that the Government obtains sufficient rights in federally supported [inventions](/usc/35/201.md?p=d) to meet the needs of the Government and protect the public against nonuse or unreasonable use of [inventions](/usc/35/201.md?p=d); and to minimize the costs of administering policies in this area.


## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 96–517, § 6(a), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 3018; amended Pub. L. 106–404, § 5, Nov. 1, 2000, 114 Stat. 1745.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2000—Pub. L. 106–404 substituted “enterprise without unduly encumbering future research and discovery;” for “enterprise;”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective July 1, 1981, but implementing regulations authorized to be issued earlier, see section 8(f) of Pub. L. 96–517, set out as an Effective Date of 1980 Amendment note under section 41 of this title.

### Short Title

This chapter is popularly known as the Bayh-Dole Act. Section 6(a) of Pub. L. 96–517, Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 3018, which enacted this chapter, is also popularly known as the Bayh-Dole Act and also as the University and Small Business Patent Procedures Act of 1980. For complete classification of section 6(a) of Pub. L. 96–517 to the Code, see Tables.