37 CFR § 501.4 - Determination of inventions and rights.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t37/s501.4"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "37 CFR § 501.4 - Determination of inventions and rights."
title_number: 37
title_name: "Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights"
section_number: "501.4"
section_name: "Determination of inventions and rights."
chapter_name: "NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE"
part_number: "501"
part_name: "UNIFORM PATENT POLICY FOR RIGHTS IN INVENTIONS MADE BY GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "Sec. 4, E.O. 10096, 3 CFR, 1949-1953 Comp., p. 292, as amended by E.O. 10930, 3 CFR, 1959-1963 Comp., p. 456 and by E.O. 10695, 3 CFR, 1954-1958 Comp., p. 355, DOO 30-2A."
regulatory_source: "53 FR 39735, Oct. 11, 1988, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "501"
---


# 501.4 Determination of inventions and rights.

Each Government agency has the approval of the Secretary to determine whether the results of research, development, or other activity in the agency constitute an invention within the purview of Executive Order 10096, as amended by Executive Order 10930 and Executive Order 10695, and to determine the rights in and to the invention in accordance with the provisions of §§ 501.6 and 501.7.

[61 FR 40999, Aug. 7, 1996]