[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 37, Volume 1]
[Revised as of July 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 37CFR401.7]

[Page 617]
 
              TITLE 37--PATENTS, TRADEMARKS, AND COPYRIGHTS
 
  CHAPTER IV--ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR TECHNOLOGY POLICY, DEPARTMENT OF 
                                COMMERCE
 
PART 401--RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE BY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND SMALL BUSINESS FIRMS UNDER GOVERNMENT GRANTS, CONTRACTS, AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 401.7  Small business preference.

    (a) Paragraph (k)(4) of the clauses at Sec. 401.14 Implements the 
small business preference requirement of 35 U.S.C. 202(c)(7)(D). 
Contractors are expected to use efforts that are reasonable under the 
circumstances to attract small business licensees. They are also 
expected to give small business firms that meet the standard outlined in 
the clause a preference over other applicants for licenses. What 
constitutes reasonable efforts to attract small business licensees will 
vary with the circumstances and the nature, duration, and expense of 
efforts needed to bring the invention to the market. Paragraph (k)(4) is 
not intended, for example, to prevent nonprofit organizations from 
providing larger firms with a right of first refusal or other options in 
inventions that relate to research being supported under long-term or 
other arrangements with larger companies. Under such circumstances it 
would not be resonable to seek and to give a preference to small 
business licensees.
    (b) Small business firms that believe a nonprofit organization is 
not meeting its obligations under the clause may report their concerns 
to the Secretary. To the extent deemed appropriate, the Secretary will 
undertake informal investigation of the concern, and, if appropriate, 
enter into discussions or negotiations with the nonprofit organization 
to the end of improving its efforts in meeting its obligations under the 
clause. However, in no event will the Secretary intervene in ongoing 
negotiations or contractor decisions concerning the licensing of a 
specific subject invention. All the above investigations, discussions, 
and negotiations of the Secretary will be in coordination with other 
interested agencies, including the Small Business Administration; and in 
the case of a contract for the operation of a government-owned, 
contractor operated research or production facility, the Secretary will 
coordinate with the agency responsible for the facility prior to any 
discussions or negotiations with the contractor.