35 USC § 208 - Regulations governing Federal licensing

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t35/s208"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "35 USC § 208 - Regulations governing Federal licensing"
title_number: 35
title_name: "PATENTS"
section_number: "208"
section_name: "Regulations governing Federal licensing"
chapter_number: 18
chapter_name: "PATENT RIGHTS IN INVENTIONS MADE WITH FEDERAL ASSISTANCE"
part_number: "II"
part_name: "PATENTABILITY OF INVENTIONS AND GRANT OF PATENTS"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2025-12-12"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 96–517, § 6(a), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 3024; amended Pub. L. 98–620, title V, § 501(12), Nov. 8, 1984, 98 Stat. 3367.)"
---


# § 208. Regulations governing Federal licensing

The Secretary of Commerce is authorized to promulgate regulations specifying the terms and conditions upon which any federally owned invention, other than inventions owned by the Tennessee Valley Authority, may be licensed on a nonexclusive, partially exclusive, or exclusive basis.

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**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 96–517, § 6(a), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 3024; amended Pub. L. 98–620, title V, § 501(12), Nov. 8, 1984, 98 Stat. 3367.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1984— substituted “Secretary of Commerce” for “Administrator of General Services”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective , but implementing regulations authorized to be issued earlier, see , set out as an Effective Date of 1980 Amendment note under .