Government patent use law is a statute codified at 28 USC § 1498(a) that is a "form of government immunity from patent claims." Section 1498 gives the federal government of the United States the "right to use patented inventions without permission, while paying the patent holder 'reasonable and entire compensation' which is usually "set at ten percent of sales or less". This statute "allows federal agencies and thirdparty government contractors to manufacture and/or use any invention without authorization from the patent holder. The federal government's rights are without an obligation for prior negotiation." Although Congress has the right to waive sovereign immunity for alleged patent infringement claims under the 'government patent use' statute, there are limits to the patent holder's recourse in the United States Court of Federal Claims. Applications of section 1498 Night-vision goggles (1990s) The United States Department of Defense began developing night-vision goggles in 1987. They purchased thousands for Operation Desert Storm alone. Gargoyles Inc. acquired the patent for protective eyewear from Pro-Tec Inc in 1988. They "commenced an action under 28 U.S.C. § 1498 for "reasonable and entire" compensation for direct infringement of the patent by the United States. Gargoyles lost their 1996 appeal. Antibiotic ciprofloxacin (2001) Faced with the threat of anthrax as a chemical weapon, Tommy Thompson, the 19th Secretary of United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (2001-2005), organized the stockpiling of the antidote – the antibiotic ciprofloxacin (brand name Cipro) – which was manufactured by Bayer AG. When Bayer refused to lower prices, Thompson threatened to invoke section 1498. In response Bayer guaranteed an adequate supply of Cipro at a 50 percent discount. Software (2009) The United States Department of the Treasury used it to "purchase software without regard to patents" held by Advanced Software Design Corporation. In Advanced Software Design Corp. v. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the court expanded the statute's interpretation to give immunity from liability to private companies as well as persons who are performing work on behalf of the government. Green bullets (2014) In 2010 the United States Army completed the development of a green bullet, the M855 A1, which was part of its lead-free initiative begun in the 1990s. Liberty Ammunition Inc sued the United States claiming they were the owners of the patent. The United States Department of Defense invoked section 1498. Direct-acting antivirals (2015) In a May 18, 2016 letter to Secretary