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The terms used in this section are defined as follows:
- Postal employee — any officer or employee of the Postal Service, including any part-time employee.
- Invention — any art, machine, manufacture, design, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement of these, that is or may be patentable under the patent laws of the United States.
- During workhours — time spent during usual workhours, overtime, or both.
- Facilities — Postal Service buildings, shops, and any other buildings, property, or premises occupied by the Postal Service used while making an invention.
- Equipment — Postal Service machinery, tools, and the like used in making an invention.
- Materials — components specifically obtained and used for the purpose of making an invention.
- Funds — Postal Service funds specifically allocated for the purpose of making an invention (including salary or wages paid to the inventor).
- Information — knowledge used in making an invention that is available only by reason of the inventor’s official duties and is obtained from sources available by reason of such duties and not otherwise available.
- Time and service of other governmental employees on official duty — assistance provided during workhours by other postal employees or by nonpostal employees of the federal government in making an invention.
- Inventor in official duty capacity — an inventor of an invention bearing a direct relation to, or made in consequence of, official duties when the inventor is employed or assigned to do any of the following:
- Invent, improve, or perfect.
- Conduct or perform research, development work, or both.
- Supervise, direct, coordinate, or review Postal Service or government–financed or –conducted research or development, or both.
- Act in a liaison capacity among government or nongovernment agencies or individuals engaged in such research or development work, and the invention is reasonably shown to have been developed from or during the performance of such work.
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