PURPOSE. NASA may receive royalties or other payments as a result of the licensing or assignment of inventions described and claimed in patents and patent applications, or as otherwise provided by law. NASA, in accordance with law, must distribute a percentage of such royalties and other payments it receives to the U.S. Government employee inventors and to individuals who have directly assigned their undivided interests in an invention to NASA. The balance of any royalties or other payments remaining after such distributions are to be made available for use by NASA Headquarters, NASA Centers, the NASA Management Office—Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and Component Facilities. Additionally, royalties or other payments received from the licensing of patents and patent applications for inventions made by contractors or grantees, where title to such inventions has been assigned to or is otherwise vested in NASA, are to be made available for use by NASA Headquarters, the NASA Centers, the NASA Management Office—JPL, and Component Facilities. This NPG establishes the responsibilities and procedures for such distributions.

APPLICABILITY. This NPG is applicable to NASA Headquarters and NASA Centers, including Component Facilities.