SYSTEM NAME:

Government Employee Invention Rights.

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:

Unclassified.

SYSTEM LOCATIONS:

Office of the Solicitor, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, 2021 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Virginia 22202.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:

Government employees who are inventors or nongovernment employees who are joint inventors together with a government employee inventor.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:

Invention rights questionnaires including information as to the inventor's employment status and his official duties and responsibilities at the time the invention was made, title determinations, appeals to the Commissioner, and petitions for reconsideration.

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:

35 U.S.C. 1 and 6, and E.O. 10096, dated January 23, 1950.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS AND PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:

See Prefatory Statement of General Routine Uses Nos. 1-5 and 8-13:

1. In the event that a system or records maintained by the Department to carry out its functions indicates a violation or potential violation of law or contract, whether civil, criminal or regulatory in nature, and whether arising by general statute or particular program statute or contract, or rule, regulation, or order issued pursuant thereto, or the necessity to protect an interest of the Department, the relevant records in the system of records may be referred, as a routine use, to the appropriate agency, whether Federal, state, local or foreign, charged with the responsibility of investigating or prosecuting such violation or charged with enforcing or implementing the statute or contract, or rule, regulation or order issued pursuant thereto, or protecting the interest of the Department.

2. A record from this system of records may be disclosed, as a routine use, to a Federal, state or local agency maintaining civil, criminal or other relevant enforcement information or other pertinent information, such as current licenses, if necessary to obtain information relevant to a Department decision concerning the assignment, hiring or retention of an individual, the issuance of a security clearance, the letting of a contract, or the issuance of a license, grant or other benefit.

3. A record from this system of records may be disclosed, as a routine use, to a Federal, state, local, or international agency, in response to its request, in connection with the assignment, hiring or retention of an individual, the issuance of a security clearance, the reporting of an investigation of an individual, the letting of a contract, or the issuance of a license, grant, or other benefit by the requesting agency, to the extent that the information is relevant and necessary to the requesting agency's decision on the matter.

4. A record from this system of records may be disclosed, as a routine use, in the course of presenting evidence to a court, magistrate or administrative tribunal, including disclosures to opposing counsel in the course of settlement negotiations.

5. A record in this system of records may be disclosed, as a routine use, to a Member of Congress submitting a request involving an individual when the individual has requested assistance from the Member with respect to the subject matter of the record.

8. A record in this system of records may be disclosed, as a routine use, to the Office of Management and Budget in connection with the review of private relief legislation as set forth in OMB Circular No. A-19 at any stage of the legislative coordination and clearance process as set forth in that Circular.

9. A record in this system of records may be disclosed, as a routine use, to the Department of Justice in connection with determining whether disclosure thereof is required by the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552).

10. A record in this system of records may be disclosed, as a routine use, to a contractor of the Department having need for the information in the performance of the contract, but not operating a system of records within the meaning of 5 U.S.C. 552a(m).

12. A record in this system may be transferred, as a routine use, to the Office of Personnel Management: for personnel research purposes; as a data source for management information; for the production of summary descriptive statistics and analytical studies in support of the function for which the records are collected and maintained; or for related manpower studies.

13. A record from this system of records may be disclosed, as a routine use, to the Administrator, General Services Administration (GSA), or his designee, during an inspection of records conducted by GSA as part of that agency's responsibility to recommend improvements in records management practices and programs, under authority of 44 U.S.C. 2904 and 2906. Such disclosure shall be made in accordance with the GSA regulations governing inspection of records for this purpose, and any other relevant (i.e. GSA or Commerce) directive. Such disclosure shall not be used to make determinations about individuals.

Also, information is transferred to various Government departments and agencies in connection with determinations made as to respective property rights (or the methods of protection thereof) of Government employees and such departments and agencies in and to inventions made by such employees.

A record in this system of records may be disclosed to appropriate agencies, entities and persons when: (1) it is suspected or determined that the security or confidentiality of information in the system of records has been compromised; (2) the Department has determined that as a result of the suspected or confirmed compromise there is a risk of harm to economic or property interests, identity theft or fraud, or harm to the security or integrity of this system or whether systems or programs (whether maintained by the Department or another agency or entity) that rely upon the compromised information; and (3) the disclosure made to such agencies, entities, and persons is reasonably necessary to assist in connection with the Department's efforts to respond to the suspected or confirmed compromise and to prevent, minimize, or remedy such harm. 72 FR 45009

DISCLOSURE TO CONSUMER REPORTING AGENCIES:

Not applicable.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING, RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING, AND DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:

STORAGE:

Paper records in file folders.

RETRIEVABILITY:

Filed alphabetically by name and case number.

SAFEGUARDS:

Buildings employ security guards. Records are maintained in areas accessible only to authorized personnel who are properly screened, cleared, and trained.

RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:

Records retention and disposal is in accordance with the unit's Records Control Schedule.

SYSTEM MANAGER(S) AND ADDRESS:

Head, Office of Government Employee Inventions, Office of the Solicitor, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Washington, DC 20231.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:

Information may be obtained from: Assistant Commissioner for Administration, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Washington, DC 20231. Requester should provide name (and case number, if known) pursuant to the inquiry provisions of the Department's rules which appear in 15 CFR part 4b.

RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:

Requests from individuals should be addressed to: Same address as stated in the notification section above.

CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:

The Department's rules for access, for contesting contents, and appealing initial determinations by the individual concerned appear in 15 CFR part 4b. Use above address.

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:

Subject individual and their employees, and those authorized by the individual to furnish information.

SYSTEM EXEMPTIONS FROM CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THE ACT:

Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(1), Government Employee Invention Rights records which relate to applications or inventions subject to a secrecy order pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 181 or are otherwise subject to security classification pursuant to E.O. 12065 or the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, are exempted from the notification, access, and contest requirements of the agency procedures (under 5 U.S.C. 552a(c)(3), (d), (e)(1), (e)(4)(G), (H), and (I), and (f)). This exemption is made to prevent disclosure of information which might be detrimental to national security and in accordance to agency rules, which are published in the Rules Section of this Federal Register.