37 CFR § 404.12 - Protection and administration of inventions.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t37/s404.12"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "37 CFR § 404.12 - Protection and administration of inventions."
title_number: 37
title_name: "Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights"
section_number: "404.12"
section_name: "Protection and administration of inventions."
chapter_name: "NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE"
part_number: "404"
part_name: "LICENSING OF GOVERNMENT-OWNED INVENTIONS"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-04-05"
last_updated: "2026-04-05"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "35 U.S.C. 207-209, DOO 30-2A."
regulatory_source: "50 FR 9802, Mar. 12, 1985, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "404"
---


# 404.12 Protection and administration of inventions.

A Federal agency may take any suitable and necessary steps to protect and administer rights to Government owned inventions, either directly or through contract.

[71 FR 11514, Mar. 8, 2006]