[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 94 (Friday, May 14, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26883-26884]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-10950]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Prospective Grant of Exclusive Patent License

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice is issued in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 209 (c)(1) 
and 37 CFR 404.7(a)(1)(I). The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is 
contemplating the granting of an exclusive license in the United States 
to practice the invention embodied in U.S. Patent No. 6,541,106 B1, 
titled ``Hydrophilic Polyurethane Impregnated Rubber for Sealing Water 
Leaks.'' The exclusive license is to be granted to Mr. Curt Birky, dba 
Conrep West, having a place of business in Littleton, Colorado. The 
patent rights in this invention have been assigned to the United States 
of America.
    The prospective exclusive license will be royalty-bearing and will 
comply with the terms and conditions of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR 404.7. 
While the primary purpose of this notice is to announce Reclamation's 
intent to grant an exclusive license to practice the above listed 
patent, it also serves to publish the availability of this patent for 
licensing in accordance with law. The prospective license may be 
granted unless Reclamation receives written evidence and argument which 
establish that the grant of the license would not be consistent with 
the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR 404.7.

DATES: Written evidence and arguments against granting the prospective 
license must be received by fifteen (15) days from the date of this 
notice.

ADDRESSES: Inquiries, comments, and other materials relating to the 
contemplated license may be submitted to Chuck Hennig, Research 
Coordinator, Bureau of Reclamation, Office of the Research Director, D-
9000, P.O. Box 25007, Denver, CO 80225-0007
    A copy of the above identified patent may be purchased from the 
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, by calling (703) 308-9726 or (800) 
972-6382 or downloaded free of charge from the U.S. Patent and 
Trademark Office Web site at www.uspto.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chuck Hennig ([email protected]), 
Research Coordinator, at 303-445-2134 or Siegie Potthoff 
([email protected]), Program Administrator, at 303-445-2136.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The invention relates to a novel approach to

[[Page 26884]]

formulate and combine polyurethane and hydrophilic rubber compounds to 
produce a practical, economical, and reliable means of sealing water 
leaks, primarily in concrete dams and other concrete water storage 
structures. More specifically the product would include a porous 
hydrophilic rubber impregnated with a water reactive polyurethane 
resin. When the material comes into contact with water, the rubber and 
polyurethane swell, resulting in increased adhesion with the substrate 
and improved leak sealing. Significant additional R&D is required to 
develop the compounding approach.
    Properly filed competing applications completed and received by 
Reclamation in response to this notice will be considered as objections 
to the grant of the contemplated license. Application forms are 
available from the Office of the Research Director, Bureau of 
Reclamation at the address above.
    There may be circumstances in which we would withhold a 
respondent's identity from public disclosure, as allowable by law. If 
you wish us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state this 
prominently at the beginning of your comment. We will make all 
submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals 
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations 
or businesses, available for public disclosure in their entirety. For 
those individuals without a business address, Reclamation's practice is 
to make comments, including names and home addresses of respondents, 
available for public review. Individual respondents may request that we 
withhold their home address from public disclosure, which we will honor 
to the extent allowable by law.

    Dated: May 4, 2004.
Charles Hennig,
Acting Director, Research and Development, Bureau of Reclamation.
[FR Doc. 04-10950 Filed 5-13-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P