Can the federal government grab your patent?

That could be the case if the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Draft Interagency Guidance Framework for Considering the Exercise of March-in Rights is adopted. March-in rights gives the federal government authority to relicense a patent (for the government or other parties) that resulted from any amount of federal support, effectively depriving investors the benefits from their efforts. For more details, see the SBE Council’s letter to NIST (Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council). #IdeaoftheDay