Federal

Title 35 — Patents

175 sections, each with the official text and a plain-English explanation of what it means for you.

• § 1 — Establishment
• § 10 — Publications
• § 100 — Definitions
• § 101 — Inventions patentable
• § 102 — Conditions for patentability; novelty
• § 103 — Conditions for patentability; non-obvious subject matter
• § 104 — Repealed. Pub. L. 112–29, § 3(d) , Sept. 16, 2011 , 125 Stat. 287 ]
• § 105 — Inventions in outer space
• § 11 — Exchange of copies of patents and applications with foreign countries
• § 111 — Application
• § 112 — Specification
• § 113 — Drawings
• § 114 — Models, specimens
• § 115 — Inventor’s oath or declaration
• § 116 — Inventors
• § 117 — Death or incapacity of inventor
• § 118 — Filing by other than inventor
• § 119 — Benefit of earlier filing date; right of priority
• § 12 — Copies of patents and applications for public libraries
• § 120 — Benefit of earlier filing date in the United States
• § 121 — Divisional applications
• § 122 — Confidential status of applications; publication of patent applications
• § 123 — Micro entity defined
• § 13 — Annual report to Congress
• § 131 — Examination of application
• § 132 — Notice of rejection; reexamination
• § 133 — Time for prosecuting application
• § 134 — Appeal to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board
• § 135 — Derivation proceedings
• § 14 — Renumbered § 13]
• § 141 — Appeal to Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
• § 142 — Notice of appeal
• § 143 — Proceedings on appeal
• § 144 — Decision on appeal
• § 145 — Civil action to obtain patent
• § 146 — Civil action in case of derivation proceeding
• § 151 — Issue of patent
• § 152 — Issue of patent to assignee
• § 153 — How issued
• § 154 — Contents and term of patent; provisional rights
• § 155, 155A — Repealed. Pub. L. 112–29, § 20(k) , Sept. 16, 2011 , 125 Stat. 335 ]
• § 156 — Extension of patent term
• § 157 — Repealed. Pub. L. 112–29, § 3(e)(1) , Sept. 16, 2011 , 125 Stat. 287 ]
• § 161 — Patents for plants
• § 162 — Description, claim
• § 163 — Grant
• § 164 — Assistance of Department of Agriculture
• § 171 — Patents for designs
• § 172 — Right of priority
• § 173 — Term of design patent
• § 181 — Secrecy of certain inventions and withholding of patent
• § 182 — Abandonment of invention for unauthorized disclosure
• § 183 — Right to compensation
• § 184 — Filing of application in foreign country
• § 185 — Patent barred for filing without license
• § 186 — Penalty
• § 187 — Nonapplicability to certain persons
• § 188 — Rules and regulations, delegation of power
• § 2 — Powers and duties
• § 200 — Policy and objective
• § 201 — Definitions
• § 202 — Disposition of rights
• § 203 — March-in rights
• § 204 — Preference for United States industry
• § 205 — Confidentiality
• § 206 — Uniform clauses and regulations
• § 207 — Domestic and foreign protection of federally owned inventions
• § 208 — Regulations governing Federal licensing
• § 209 — Licensing federally owned inventions
• § 21 — Filing date and day for taking action
• § 210 — Precedence of chapter
• § 211 — Relationship to antitrust laws
• § 212 — Disposition of rights in educational awards
• § 22 — Printing of papers filed
• § 23 — Testimony in Patent and Trademark Office cases
• § 24 — Subpoenas, witnesses
• § 25 — Declaration in lieu of oath
• § 251 — Reissue of defective patents
• § 252 — Effect of reissue
• § 253 — Disclaimer
• § 254 — Certificate of correction of Patent and Trademark Office mistake
• § 255 — Certificate of correction of applicant’s mistake
• § 256 — Correction of named inventor
• § 257 — Supplemental examinations to consider, reconsider, or correct information
• § 26 — Effect of defective execution
• § 261 — Ownership; assignment
• § 262 — Joint owners
• § 266 — Repealed. Pub. L. 89–83, § 8 , July 24, 1965 , 79 Stat. 261 ]
• § 267 — Time for taking action in Government applications
• § 27 — Revival of applications; reinstatement of reexamination proceedings
• § 271 — Infringement of patent
• § 272 — Temporary presence in the United States
• § 273 — Defense to infringement based on prior commercial use
• § 28 — Award of certificates to accelerate certain matters at the Patent and Trademark Office
• § 281 — Remedy for infringement of patent
• § 282 — Presumption of validity; defenses
• § 283 — Injunction
• § 284 — Damages
• § 285 — Attorney fees
• § 286 — Time limitation on damages
• § 287 — Limitation on damages and other remedies; marking and notice
• § 288 — Action for infringement of a patent containing an invalid claim
• § 289 — Additional remedy for infringement of design patent
• § 290 — Notice of patent suits
• § 291 — Derived patents
• § 292 — False marking
• § 293 — Nonresident patentee; service and notice
• § 294 — Voluntary arbitration
• § 295 — Presumption: Product made by patented process
• § 296 — Liability of States, instrumentalities of States, and State officials for infringement of patents
• § 297 — Improper and deceptive invention promotion
• § 298 — Advice of counsel
• § 299 — Joinder of parties
• § 3 — Officers and employees
• § 301 — Citation of prior art and written statements
• § 302 — Request for reexamination
• § 303 — Determination of issue by Director
• § 304 — Reexamination order by Director
• § 305 — Conduct of reexamination proceedings
• § 306 — Appeal
• § 307 — Certificate of patentability, unpatentability, and claim cancellation
• § 31 — Repealed. Pub. L. 106–113, div. B, § 1000(a)(9) [title IV, § 4715(b)] , Nov. 29, 1999 , 113 Stat. 1536 , 1501A–580]
• § 311 — Inter partes review
• § 312 — Petitions
• § 313 — Preliminary response to petition
• § 314 — Institution of inter partes review
• § 315 — Relation to other proceedings or actions
• § 316 — Conduct of inter partes review
• § 317 — Settlement
• § 318 — Decision of the Board
• § 319 — Appeal
• § 32 — Suspension or exclusion from practice
• § 321 — Post-grant review
• § 322 — Petitions
• § 323 — Preliminary response to petition
• § 324 — Institution of post-grant review
• § 325 — Relation to other proceedings or actions
• § 326 — Conduct of post-grant review
• § 327 — Settlement
• § 328 — Decision of the Board
• § 329 — Appeal
• § 33 — Unauthorized representation as practitioner
• § 351 — Definitions
• § 361 — Receiving Office
• § 362 — International Searching Authority and International Preliminary Examining Authority
• § 363 — International application designating the United States: Effect
• § 364 — International stage: Procedure
• § 365 — Right of priority; benefit of the filing date of a prior application
• § 366 — Withdrawn international application
• § 367 — Actions of other authorities: Review
• § 368 — Secrecy of certain inventions; filing international applications in foreign countries
• § 371 — National stage: Commencement
• § 372 — National stage: Requirements and procedure
• § 373 — Repealed. Pub. L. 112–274, § 1(i) , Jan. 14, 2013 , 126 Stat. 2457 ]
• § 374 — Publication of international application
• § 375 — Patent issued on international application: Effect
• § 376 — Fees
• § 381 — Definitions
• § 382 — Filing international design applications
• § 383 — International design application
• § 384 — Filing date
• § 385 — Effect of international design application
• § 386 — Right of priority
• § 387 — Relief from prescribed time limits
• § 388 — Withdrawn or abandoned international design application
• § 389 — Examination of international design application
• § 390 — Publication of international design application
• § 4 — Restrictions on officers and employees as to interest in patents
• § 41 — Patent fees; patent and trademark search systems
• § 42 — Patent and Trademark Office funding
• § 5 — Patent and Trademark Office Public Advisory Committees
• § 6 — Patent Trial and Appeal Board
• § 7 — Library
• § 8 — Classification of patents
• § 9 — Certified copies of records