Foreign filing.

§ 6.8 Foreign filing. (a) By Government. (1) In every case where the employee has indicated pursuant to § 6.2(d)(10), his willingness to assign the domestic patent rights in the invention to the Government, or where it has been determined pursuant to § 6.5 that the Government shall obtain the entire domestic patent rights, the Government shall reserve an option to acquire assignment of all foreign rights including the rights to file foreign patent applications or otherwise to seek protection abroad on the invention. (2) The Government's option shall lapse as regards any foreign country: (i) When the Solicitor determines after consultation with the agency most directly concerned, not to cause an application to be filed in said foreign country or otherwise to seek protection of the invention, as by publication; (ii) When the Solicitor fails to take action to seek protection of the invention in said foreign country ( a ) within six months of the filing of an application for a United States patent on the invention, or ( b ) within six months of declassification of an invention previously under a security classification, whichever is later. (b) By Employee. (1) No Department employee shall file or cause to be filed an application for patent in any foreign country on any invention in which the Government has acquired the entire (foreign and domestic) patent rights, or holds an unexpired option to acquire the patent rights in said foreign country, or take any steps which would preclude the filing of an application by or on behalf of the Government. (2) An employee may file in any foreign country where the Government has not exercised its option acquired pursuant to § 6.2(d)(10), to do so, or determines not to do so. (3) The determination or failure to act as set forth in § 6.8(a)(2) shall constitute a decision by the Government to leave the foreign patent rights to the invention in the employee, subject to a nonexclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free license to the Government in any patent which may issue thereon in any foreign country, including the power to issue sublicenses for governmental purposes or in furtherance of the foreign policies of the Government or both.