NASA large business contractors and for profit organizations awarded NASA contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements are required to comply with reporting requirements identified in the New Technology or Patent Rights Clause in the Contract, or Patent Rights Clause in the Grant or Cooperative Agreement. NASA small business contractors are required to comply with the Patent Rights Clause of the Contract. Reporting New Technologies and Inventions as soon as possible after conception allows the Center Patent Counsel to determine ownership and whether intellectual property protection is appropriate. Reporting prior to disclosure, publication, or presentation at a conference allows Patent Counsel to file a patent application prior to possible statutory bars which may preclude patent protection. Filing a patent application establishes and protects rights.
Secrecy provides little protection for the innovation.
Professional recognition and prestige. NASA Tech Briefs is circulated to over 207,000 industry readers in the U.S. alone. For items deemed appropriate for public dissemination, inclusion in NASA TechTracS TechFinder . This site provides a technology database containing a wealth of information on technologies developed by NASA that may have commercial potential and benefits. On-site employees may also access the NASA Form 1679 through the MSFC electronic forms application.