The Foundation is committed to working with USDA and the agribusiness industry to develop new technologies and solutions that can be translated to enhancing the business operations of its investors. The guidelines for patent, copyright, technical data and software policies that apply to Foundation projects and/or research shall be based on principles that best accommodate the goals of USDA, corporate investors, and university partners.
Ownership of intellectual property shall be in accordance with U.S. patent law and USDA policies and procedures. USDA will accept research funds from the Foundation through a standard Trust Fund Cooperative Research Agreement (7 USC 450a) which describes data exchange and intellectual property management. Data that are compiled under a Foundation supported Trust Fund Cooperative Research Agreement will be shared and mutually interchanged by the USDA and the Foundation. Final results of the undertaking will be made available to both parties. The USDA has the right to publish in the scientific literature the results of the project. Any technical publication developed as a result of a Foundation supported Trust Fund Cooperative Research Agreement will be submitted by the USDA to the Foundation for review and comment. Requests for confidentiality will be considered by the USDA pursuant to and in accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.
All rights, title, and interest in inventions made under a Foundation supported Trust Fund Cooperative Research Agreement solely by employees of the USDA shall be owned by the USDA. Any invention made jointly under the Agreement by at least one employee of the Foundation and at least one employee of the USDA shall be jointly owned. Any invention made under the Agreement solely by individuals employed by the Foundation shall be owned by the Foundation, provided the USDA is granted a royalty-free, nonexclusive , irrevocable license to use the invention for U.S. Government purposes.