---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 7608"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "7608"
heading: "Mandatory licensing"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/7608"
units:
  - "Chapter 85 — Air Pollution Prevention and Control"
  - "Subchapter III — General Provisions"
---

# §7608. Mandatory licensing


Whenever the Attorney General determines, upon application of the [Administrator](/usc/42/7602.md?p=a)—

- (1) that—
  - (A) in the implementation of the requirements of section [7411](/usc/42/7411.md), [7412](/usc/42/7412.md), or [7521](/usc/42/7521.md) of this title, a right under any United States letters patent, which is being used or intended for public or commercial use and not otherwise reasonably available, is necessary to enable any [person](/usc/42/7602.md?p=e) required to comply with such limitation to so comply, and
  - (B) there are no reasonable alternative methods to accomplish such purpose, and
- (2) that the unavailability of such right may result in a substantial lessening of competition or tendency to create a monopoly in any line of [commerce](/usc/42/7550.md?p=6) in any section of the country,

the Attorney General may so certify to a district court of the United States, which may issue an order requiring the [person](/usc/42/7602.md?p=e) who owns such patent to license it on such reasonable terms and conditions as the court, after hearing, may determine. Such certification may be made to the district court for the district in which the [person](/usc/42/7602.md?p=e) owning the patent resides, does business, or is found.


## Source credit

(July 14, 1955, ch. 360, title III, § 308, as added Pub. L. 91–604, § 12(a), Dec. 31, 1970, 84 Stat. 1708.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section was formerly classified to section 1857h–6 of this title.

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 308 of act July 14, 1955, was renumbered section 315 by Pub. L. 91–604 and is classified to section 7615 of this title.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Modification or Rescission of Rules, Regulations, Orders, Determinations, Contracts, Certifications, Authorizations, Delegations, and Other Actions

All rules, regulations, orders, determinations, contracts, certifications, authorizations, delegations, or other actions duly issued, made, or taken by or pursuant to act July 14, 1955, the Clean Air Act, as in effect immediately prior to the date of enactment of Pub. L. 95–95 [Aug. 7, 1977] to continue in full force and effect until modified or rescinded in accordance with act July 14, 1955, as amended by Pub. L. 95–95 [this chapter], see section 406(b) of Pub. L. 95–95, set out as an Effective Date of 1977 Amendment note under section 7401 of this title.