How do Reclamation employees document and report a new invention?
The term “invention” means any invention or discovery which is or may be patentable under Title 35 of the United States Code. When a Reclamation employee invents, he or she should immediately prepare a Report of Invention (Form DI-1215). Preparing this document is an important first step in assessing the merits of seeking patent protection for the invention. The form is largely self-explanatory however, there are a few key points to keep in mind.
- An invention should be reported shortly after it
has been built and tested, or in the case of a method, shortly after it
is practiced. If an invention will not be built or practiced within a
reasonably short time after its conception, it should be reported immediately.
- Three levels of invention maturity that can be
addressed in Form DI-1215, namely conception of the invention, the diligence
towards reducing the invention to practice, and the reduction to practice.
- Completed Report of Invention forms prepared and
signed in triplicate should be forwarded to the Technology Transfer Liaison
for evaluation. Contact the Technology Transfer Liaison for any assistance
you may need during the preparation.
- Inventors are responsible for reporting all inventions,
whether or not related to their work, so that the rights of the employees
and the government to the inventions may be determined.
- More information related to the respective rights of the employee and the government in inventions can be found in the Department of the Interior manual.