Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Uploading a Government Support Clause Document

BACKGROUND

A Government Support Clause (GSC) is required "within the specification of any United States patent application and any patent issuing thereon covering a subject invention". 37 CFR 401.14(f)(4)

The GSC should read EXACTLY as follows with the applicable award numbers (in correct iEdison format) and funding agencies:

"This invention was made with government support under (identify the contract) awarded by (identify the Federal agency). The government has certain rights in the invention."

Evidence of the GSC is to be uploaded into iEdison and may include:

  1. The full patent application (including GSC)
  2. Amendment correcting the application to include GSC
  3. Patent as published by the USPTO
  4. Patent as issued by the USPTO
  5. Request for a Certificate of Correction correcting the issued patent to include GSC
  6. Certificate of Correction signed by the USPTO

If you are uploading a document that was filed with the USPTO (such as an application, amendment, or request for a Certificate of Correction), you must also include the electronic filing receipt or other documentation to confirm that the documentation was, in fact, filed with the USPTO.

To upload a Government Support Clause (GSC), complete the following steps:

  1. Navigate to the "Supporting Documents" panel of a Patent Report
  2. Click the "Upload" button in the Government Support Clause section
  3. Save the Patent Report

1. Navigate to the "Supporting Documents" panel of a Patent Report

Supporting documents screenshot.

2. Click the "Upload" button in the Government Support Clause section

Government support clause upload screenshot.

A popup window will open, asking you to upload the GSC document. You may either click the "Choose" button to select a file from your local computer, or you may drag and drop a file into this popup window.

Government support clause upload screenshot.

3. Save the Patent Report

Click the "Save Patent Report" button at the top of the window.

The funding Agency will be notified, and they will review the GSC document. Once the Agency has either approved or rejected the GSC, you will be notified. If the GSC is rejected, a comment will be posted with an explanation of what is needed for the document to be approved.

Created February 22, 2022, Updated June 26, 2022