Title 10
SECTION 784.11
784.11 Bases for granting waivers.
§ 784.11 Bases for granting waivers.(a) The various factual situations which are appropriate for waivers cannot be categorized precisely because the appropriateness of a waiver will depend upon the manner in which the considerations set forth in §§ 784.4 or 784.5, and 784.6 if applicable, of this part relate to the facts and circumstances surrounding the particular contracting situation or the particular invention, in order to best achieve the objectives set forth in § 784.3 of this part. However, some examples where advance waivers might be appropriate are:
(1) Cost-shared contracts;
(2) Situations in which DOE is providing increased funding to a specific ongoing privately-sponsored research, development, or demonstration project;
(3) Situations such as Work for Others Agreements, User Facility Agreements or CRADAs, involving DOE-approved private use of Government facilities where the waiver requestor is funding a substantial part of the costs; and
(4) Situations in which the equities of the contractor are so substantial in relation to that of the Government that the waiver is necessary to obtain the participation of the contractor.
(b) Waivers may be granted as to all or any part of the rights of the United States to an invention subject to certain rights retained by the United States as set forth in § 784.12 of this part. The scope of the waiver will depend upon the relationship of the contractual situation or identified invention to considerations set forth in §§ 784.4 or 784.5, and 784.6, if applicable, in order to best achieve the objectives set forth in § 784.3. For example, waivers may be restricted to a particular field of use in which the contractor has substantial equities or a commercial position, or restricted to those uses that are not the primary object of the contract effort. Waivers may also be made effective for a specified duration of time, may be limited to particular geographic locations, may require the contractor to license others at reduced royalties in consideration of the Government's contribution to the research, development, or demonstration effort, or may require return of a portion of the royalties or revenue to the Government.
(c) Contractors shall not use their ability to award subcontracts as economic leverage to acquire rights for themselves in the subcontractor inventions, where the subcontractor(s) would prefer to petition for title. A waiver granted to a prime contractor is not normally applicable to inventions of subcontractors. However, in appropriate circumstances, the waiver given to the prime contractor may be made applicable to the waivable inventions of any or all subcontractors, such as where there are pre-existing special research and development arrangements between the prime contractor and subcontractor, or where the prime contractor and subcontractor are partners in a cooperative effort. In addition, in such circumstances, the prime contractor may be permitted to acquire nonexclusive licenses in the subcontractors' inventions when a waiver of the subcontractor inventions is not covered by the prime contractor's waiver.
(d) In advance waivers of identified inventions, the invention will be deemed to be a subject invention and the waiver will be considered as being effective as of the effective date of the contract (see § 784.13(a)). This will be true regardless of whether the identified invention had been first actually reduced to practice prior to the time of contracting or would be reduced to practice under the contract or after expiration of the contract. One purpose of advance waivers of identified inventions is to establish the rights of the parties to such inventions when the facts surrounding the first actual reduction to practice prior to or during the contract are or will be difficult to establish.