Title 30, Mineral Lands and MiningRelease 119-102
§666 Public-availability Requirement; National Defense; Patent Agreements
Title 30 › CHAPTER 18 — COAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT › § 666
Summary
Research done, paid for, or approved under this law must make its results—like information, inventions, products, processes, and patents—available to the public, unless the Secretary limits that access for national defense. If the Secretary thinks a patent is needed to carry out the law’s goals, the Secretary may make agreements to obtain or use the patent on reasonable terms and conditions.
Full Legal Text
Title 30, §666
Mineral Lands and Mining, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
No research shall be carried out, contracted for, sponsored, cosponsored, or authorized under authority of this chapter, unless all information, uses, products, processes, patents, and other developments resulting from such research will (with such exceptions and limitations, if any, as the Secretary may find to be necessary in the interest of national defense) be available to the general public. Whenever in the estimation of the Secretary the purposes of this chapter would be furthered through the use of patented processes or equipment, the Secretary is authorized to enter into such agreements as he deems necessary for the acquisition or use of such patents on reasonable terms and conditions.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Prior Provisions
A prior section 4 of Pub. L. 86–599 was classified to section 664 of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 109–58, § 1009(a)(1)(C).
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
30 U.S.C. § 666
Title 30, Mineral Lands and Mining
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102