PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

No patents can be granted for inventions that are useful only for making atomic weapons. Any existing patents or patent rights that cover uses in making atomic weapons are taken away, and the owner will be paid fair compensation. If someone makes an invention useful in producing or using special nuclear material or atomic energy, they must tell the Commission within 180 days after they first learn it is useful that way, unless they file a patent application with the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in time. The Under Secretary must tell the Commission about such patent applications and give the Commission access to them. The Commission must keep those reports and applications secret, and may only share the information with the inventor’s permission, when required by law, or in special cases the Commission decides.

Title 42, §2181

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Denial of patent; revocation of prior patents

No patent shall hereafter be granted for any invention or discovery which is useful solely in the utilization of special nuclear material or atomic energy in an atomic weapon. Any patent granted for any such invention or discovery is revoked, and just compensation shall be made therefor.

(b)Denial of rights; revocation of prior rights

No patent hereafter granted shall confer any rights with respect to any invention or discovery to the extent that such invention or discovery is used in the utilization of special nuclear material or atomic energy in atomic weapons. Any rights conferred by any patent heretofore granted for any invention or discovery are revoked to the extent that such invention or discovery is so used, and just compensation shall be made therefor.

(c)Report of invention to Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office

Any person who has made or hereafter makes any invention or discovery useful in the production or utilization of special nuclear material or atomic energy, shall file with the Commission a report containing a complete description thereof unless such invention or discovery is described in an application for a patent filed with the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office by such person within the time required for the filing of such report. The report covering any such invention or discovery shall be filed on or before the one hundred and eightieth day after such person first discovers or first has reason to believe that such invention or discovery is useful in such production or utilization.

(d)Report to Commission by Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office

The Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office shall notify the Commission of all applications for patents heretofore or hereafter filed which, in his opinion, disclose inventions or discoveries required to be reported under subsection (c), and shall provide the Commission access to all such applications.

(e)Confidential information; circumstances permitting disclosure

Reports filed pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, and applications to which access is provided under subsection (d) of this section, shall be kept in confidence by the Commission, and no information concerning the same given without authority of the inventor or owner unless necessary to carry out the provisions of any Act of Congress or in such special circumstances as may be determined by the Commission.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to this section were contained in section 1811(a) of this title, prior to the general amendment and renumbering of act Aug. 1, 1946, by act Aug. 30, 1954.

Amendments

1999—Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 106–113 substituted “Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office” for “Commissioner of Patents”. 1961—Pub. L. 87–206, § 7, substituted provision concerning inventions relating to atomic weapons and filing of reports for provision relating to military utilization in section catchline. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 87–206, § 8, struck out designation as cl. (1) of provision relating to production or utilization of special nuclear material or atomic energy and cls. (2) and (3) relating to utilization of special nuclear material in an atomic weapon and utilization of atomic energy in an atomic weapon, respectively, and substituted “the one hundred and eightieth day” for “whichever of the following is the later: either the ninetieth day after completion of such invention or discovery; or the ninetieth day”. Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 87–206, § 9, added subsec. (e).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1999 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 106–113 effective 4 months after Nov. 29, 1999, see section 1000(a)(9) [title IV, § 4731] of Pub. L. 106–113, set out as a note under section 1 of Title 35, Patents. Emergency Relief From Postal Situation Affecting Atomic Energy CasesExcusal of delayed fees or actions affected by postal situation beginning on Mar. 18, 1970, and ending on or about Mar. 30, 1970, see note set out under section 111 of Title 35, Patents.

§2181 Inventions Relating to Atomic Weapons, and Filing of Reports