BY ORDER OF THE
SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE
AIR FORCE INSTRUCTION 51-303
22 JUNE 2018
Law
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
COMPLIANCE WITH THIS PUBLICATION IS MANDATORY
ACCESSIBILITY: Publications and forms are available on the e-Publishing website at
www.e-publishing.af.mil for downloading or ordering.
RELEASABILITY: There are no releasability restrictions on this publication.
OPR: SAF/GCQ
Supersedes: AFI 51-303,
1 September 1998
Certified by: SAF/GCQ
(Mr. Richard B. Clifford)
Pages: 19
This instruction provides guidance and procedures on intellectual property, to include handling
inventions, filing for patents, and various other matters pertaining to patents, copyrights,
trademarks, and proprietary information. It implements DoD Instruction 2000.03, International
Interchange of Patent Rights and Technical Information, dated 17 January 2006, and Air Force
Policy Directive 51-3, Civil Litigation, dated 21 May 1993. This instruction applies to all
Regular Air Force personnel and members of the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard
(ANG), except where noted otherwise. This publication may be supplemented at any level, but
all supplements must be routed to the Office of Primary Responsibility (OPR) listed above for
coordination prior to certification and approval. Refer recommended changes and questions
about this publication to the OPR listed above using the AF Form 847, Recommendation for
Change of Publication; route AF Forms 847 from the field through the appropriate chain of
command. The authorities to waive wing/unit level requirements in this publication are identified
with a Tier (“T-0, T-1, T-2, T-3”) number following the compliance statement. See AFI 33-360,
Publications and Forms Management, for a description of the authorities associated with the Tier
numbers. Submit requests for waivers through the chain of command to the appropriate Tier
waiver approval authority, or alternately, to the requestor’s commander for non-tiered
compliance items. Ensure that all records created as a result of processes prescribed in this
publication are maintained in accordance with AFMAN 33-363, Management of Records, and
disposed of in accordance with the Air Force Records Disposition Schedule (RDS) located at the
Air Force Records Information Management System (AFRIMS).
