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SMITHSONIAN PATENT POLICY AND INVENTION DISCLOSURE

Creative activities in many parts of the Smithsonian may give rise to new and useful inventions which could be granted protection and professional recognition in the form of patents issued in the name of the inventor. Some patentable inventions may have commercial applications in new technology which, through licensing, could provide additional funds to support the work of the inventor or his or her organization unit.

The technical evaluation of inventions and the obtaining and licensing of patents is a complex process. In the past, the Institution has provided the resources necessary to secure a patent in a few instances on an [[underlined]] ad hoc [[/underlined]] basis. Recently, Wayne E. Swann of the University of Maryland Office of Technology Liaison has been engaged as Smithsonian Patent Consultant to initiate a more systematic encouragement of invention disclosure, by visiting Smithsonian units and providing expert guidance in the evaluation of inventive concepts, and to assist in the voluntary process of formal disclosure and protection of inventions which hold promise of patentability. Attached is the Smithsonian Invention Disclosure Form which will be used for this purpose.

The Institution has also contracted with University Science, Engineering and Technology, Inc. (USET) to serve as its patenting/marketing/licensing agent. USET will carry out the necessary patent searches and will file applications for inventions deemed patentable. At the same time, USET will assess the marketability of such inventions and undertake commercial licensing where feasible.