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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

NATIONAL LEGISLATION - USA

Patent Laws and Regulations

Regulations: Title 37, Chapter I (Subchapter A, Parts 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, and 15a and Subchapter B); Chapter IV and Chapter V, Code of Federal Regulations


(Continuation)

 

37 C.F.R. § 1.363   Fee address for maintenance fee purposes.

(a) All notices, receipts, refunds, and other communications relating to payment or refund of maintenance fees will be directed to the correspondence address used during prosecution of the application as indicated in § 1.33(a) unless:

(1) A fee address for purposes of payment of maintenance fees is set forth when submitting the issue fee, or

(2) A change in the correspondence address for all purposes is filed after payment of the issue fee, or

(3) A fee address or a change in the “fee address” is filed for purposes of receiving notices, receipts and other correspondence relating to the payment of maintenance fees after the payment of the issue fee, in which instance, the latest such address will be used.

(b) An assignment of a patent application or patent does not result in a change of the “correspondence address” or “fee address” for maintenance fee purposes.

[49 FR 34725, Aug. 31, 1984]

37 C.F.R. § 1.366   Submission of maintenance fees.

(a) The patentee may pay maintenance fees and any necessary surcharges, or any person or organization may pay maintenance fees and any necessary surcharges on behalf of a patentee. Authorization by the patentee need not be filed in the Patent and Trademark Office to pay maintenance fees and any necessary surcharges on behalf of the patentee.

(b) A maintenance fee and any necessary surcharge submitted for a patent must be submitted in the amount due on the date the maintenance fee and any necessary surcharge are paid. A maintenance fee or surcharge may be paid in the manner set forth in § 1.23 or by an authorization to charge a deposit account established pursuant to § 1.25. Payment of a maintenance fee and any necessary surcharge or the authorization to charge a deposit account must be submitted within the periods set forth in § 1.362 (d), (e), or (f). Any payment or authorization of maintenance fees and surcharges filed at any other time will not be accepted and will not serve as a payment of the maintenance fee except insofar as a delayed payment of the maintenance fee is accepted by the Commissioner in an expired patent pursuant to a petition filed under § 1.378. Any authorization to charge a deposit account must authorize the immediate charging of the maintenance fee and any necessary surcharge to the deposit account. Payment of less than the required amount, payment in a manner other than that set forth § 1.23, or in the filing of an authorization to charge a deposit account having insufficient funds will not constitute payment of a maintenance fee or surcharge on a patent. The procedures set forth in § 1.8 or § 1.10 may be utilized in paying maintenance fees and any necessary surcharges.

(c) In submitting maintenance fees and any necessary surcharges, identification of the patents for which maintenance fees are being paid must include the following:

(1) The patent number; and

(2) The application number of the United States application for the patent on which the maintenance fee is being paid.

(d) Payment of maintenance fees and any surcharges should identify the fee being paid for each patent as to whether it is the 3 1/2-, 7 1/2-, or 11 1/2-year fee, whether small entity status is being changed or claimed, the amount of the maintenance fee and any surcharge being paid, and any assigned customer number. If the maintenance fee and any necessary surcharge is being paid on a reissue patent, the payment must identify the reissue patent by reissue patent number and reissue application number as required by paragraph (c) of this section and should also include the original patent number.

(e) Maintenance fee payments and surcharge payments relating thereto must be submitted separate from any other payments for fees or charges, whether submitted in the manner set forth in § 1.23 or by an authorization to charge a deposit account. If maintenance fee and surcharge payments for more than one patent are submitted together, they should be submitted on as few sheets as possible with the patent numbers listed in increasing patent number order. If the payment submitted is insufficient to cover the maintenance fees and surcharges for all the listed patents, the payment will be applied in the order the patents are listed, beginning at the top of the listing.

(f) Notification of any change in status resulting in loss of entitlement to small entity status must be filed in a patent prior to paying, or at the time of paying, the earliest maintenance fee due after the date on which status as a small entity is no longer appropriate. See § 1.28(b).

(g) Maintenance fees and surcharges relating thereto will not be refunded except in accordance with §§ 1.26 and 1.28(a).

[49 FR 34725, Aug. 31, 1984; 58 FR 54503, Oct. 22, 1993; 62 FR 53132, 53199, Oct. 10, 1997]

37 C.F.R. § 1.377   Review of decision refusing to accept and record payment of a maintenance fee filed prior to expiration of patent.

(a) Any patentee who is dissatisfied with the refusal of the Patent and Trademark Office to accept and record a maintenance fee which was filed prior to the expiration of the patent may petition the Commissioner to accept and record the maintenance fee.

(b) Any petition under this section must be filed within 2 months of the action complained of, or within such other time as may be set in the action complained of, and must be accompanied by the fee set forth in § 1.17(h). The petition may include a request that the petition fee be refunded if the refusal to accept and record the maintenance fee is determined to result from an error by the Patent and Trademark Office.

(c) Any petition filed under this section must comply with the requirements of § 1.181(b) and must be signed by an attorney or agent registered to practice before the Patent and Trademark Office, or by the patentee, the assignee, or other party in interest.

[49 FR 34725, Aug. 31, 1984; 62 FR 53132, 53199, Oct. 10, 1997]

37 C.F.R. § 1.378   Acceptance of delayed payment of maintenance fee in expired patent to reinstate patent.

(a) The Commissioner may accept the payment of any maintenance fee due on a patent after expiration of the patent if, upon petition, the delay in payment of the maintenance fee is shown to the satisfaction of the Commissioner to have been unavoidable (paragraph (b) of this section) or unintentional (paragraph (c) of this section) and if the surcharge required by § 1.20(i) is paid as a condition of accepting payment of the maintenance fee. If the Commissioner accepts payment of the maintenance fee upon petition, the patent shall be considered as not having expired, but will be subject to the conditions set forth in 35 U.S.C. 41(c)(2).

(b) Any petition to accept an unavoidably delayed payment of a maintenance fee filed under paragraph (a) of this section must include:

(1) The required maintenance fee set forth in § 1.20 (e) through (g);

(2) The surcharge set forth in § 1.20(i)(1); and

(3) A showing that the delay was unavoidable since reasonable care was taken to ensure that the maintenance fee would be paid timely and that the petition was filed promptly after the patentee was notified of, or otherwise became aware of, the expiration of the patent. The showing must enumerate the steps taken to ensure timely payment of the maintenance fee, the date and the manner in which patentee became aware of the expiration of the patent, and the steps taken to file the petition promptly.

(c) Any petition to accept an unintentionally delayed payment of a maintenance fee filed under paragraph (a) of this section must be filed within twenty-four months after the six-month grace period provided in § 1.362(e) and must include:

(1) The required maintenance fee set forth in § 1.20 (e) through (g);

(2) The surcharge set forth in § 1.20(i)(2); and

(3) A statement that the delay in payment of the maintenance fee was unintentional.

(d) Any petition under this section must be signed by an attorney or agent registered to practice before the Patent and Trademark Office, or by the patentee, the assignee, or other party in interest.

(e) Reconsideration of a decision refusing to accept a maintenance fee upon petition filed pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section may be obtained by filing a petition for reconsideration within two months of, or such other time as set in, the decision refusing to accept the delayed payment of the maintenance fee. Any such petition for reconsideration must be accompanied by the petition fee set forth in § 1.17(h). After decision on the petition for reconsideration, no further reconsideration or review of the matter will be undertaken by the Commissioner. If the delayed payment of the maintenance fee is not accepted, the maintenance fee and the surcharge set forth in § 1.20(i) will be refunded following the decision on the petition for reconsideration, or after the expiration of the time for filing such a petition for reconsideration, if none is filed. Any petition fee under this section will not be refunded unless the refusal to accept and record the maintenance fee is determined to result from an error by the Patent and Trademark Office.

[49 FR 34726, Aug. 31, 1984, as amended at 50 FR 9383, Mar. 7, 1985; 53 FR 47810, Nov. 28, 1988; 56 FR 65154, Dec. 13, 1991; 57 FR 56450, Nov. 30, 1992; 58 FR 44282, Aug. 20, 1993; 62 FR 53132, 53199, Oct. 10, 1997]

37 C.F.R. § 1.401   Definitions of terms under the Patent Cooperation Treaty.

(a) The abbreviation PCT and the term Treaty mean the Patent Cooperation Treaty.

(b) International Bureau means the World Intellectual Property Organization located in Geneva, Switzerland.

(c) Administrative Instructions means that body of instructions for operating under the Patent Cooperation Treaty referred to in PCT Rule 89.

(d) Request, when capitalized, means that element of the international application described in PCT Rules 3 and 4.

(e) International application, as used in this subchapter is defined in § 1.9(b).

(f) Priority date for the purpose of computing time limits under the Patent Cooperation Treaty is defined in PCT Art. 2 (xi). Note also § 1.465.

(g) Demand, when capitalized, means that document filed with the International Preliminary Examining Authority which requests an international preliminary examination.

(h) Annexes means amendments made to the claims, description or the drawings before the International Preliminary Examining Authority.

(i) Other terms and expressions in this Subpart C not defined in this section are to be taken in the sense indicated in PCT Art. 2 and 35 U.S.C. 351.

[43 FR 20466, May 11, 1978, as amended at 52 FR 20047, May 28, 1987]

37 C.F.R. § 1.412   The United States Receiving Office.

(a) The United States Patent and Trademark Office is a Receiving Office only for applicants who are residents or nationals of the United States of America.

(b) The Patent and Trademark Office, when acting as a Receiving Office, will be identified by the full title “United States Receiving Office” or by the abbreviation “RO/US.”

(c) The major functions of the Receiving Office include:

(1) According of international filing dates to international applications meeting the requirements of PCT Art. 11(1), and PCT Rule 20;

(2) Assuring that international applications meet the standards for format and content of PCT Art. 14(1), PCT Rule 9, 26, 29.1, 37, 38, 91, and portions of PCT Rules 3 through 11;

(3) Collecting and, when required, transmitting fees due for processing international applications (PCT Rule 14, 15, 16);

(4) Transmitting the record and search copies to the International Bureau and International Searching Authority, respectively (PCT Rules 22 and 23); and

(5) Determining compliance with applicable requirements of part 5 of this chapter.

(6) Reviewing and, unless prescriptions concerning national security prevent the application from being so transmitted (PCT Rule 19.4), transmitting the international application to the International Bureau for processing in its capacity as a Receiving Office:

(i) Where the United States Receiving Office is not the competent Receiving Office under PCT Rule 19.1 or 19.2 and § 1.421(a); or

(ii) Where the international application is not in English but is in a language accepted under PCT Rule 12.1(a) by the International Bureau as a Receiving Office; or

(iii) Where there is agreement and authorization in accordance with PCT Rule 19.4(a)(iii).

[43 FR 20466, May 11, 1978; 60 FR 21439, May 2, 1995; 63 FR 29614, 29617, June 1, 1998]

37 C.F.R. § 1.413   The United States International Searching Authority.

(a) Pursuant to appointment by the Assembly, the United States Patent and Trademark Office will act as an International Searching Authority for international applications filed in the United States Receiving Office and in other Receiving Offices as may be agreed upon by the Commissioner, in accordance with agreement between the Patent and Trademark Office and the International Bureau (PCT Art. 16(3)(b)).

(b) The Patent and Trademark Office, when acting as an International Searching Authority, will be identified by the full title “United States International Searching Authority” or by the abbreviation “ISA/US.”

(c) The major functions of the International Searching Authority include:

(1) Approving or establishing the title and abstract;

(2) Considering the matter of unity of invention;

(3) Conducting international and international-type searches and preparing international and international-type search reports (PCT Art. 15, 17 and 18, and PCT Rules 25, 33 to 45 and 47); and

(4) Transmitting the international search report to the applicant and the International Bureau.

[43 FR 20466, May 11, 1978]

37 C.F.R. § 1.414   The United States Patent and Trademark Office as a Designated Office or Elected Office.

(a) The United States Patent and Trademark Office will act as a Designated Office or Elected Office for international applications in which the United States of America has been designated or elected as a State in which patent protection is desired.

(b) The United States Patent and Trademark Office, when acting as a Designated Office or Elected Office during international processing will be identified by the full title “United States Designated Office” or by the abbreviation “DO/US” or by the full title “United States Elected Office” or by the abbreviation “EO/US”.

(c) The major functions of the United States Designated Office or Elected Office in respect to international applications in which the United States of America has been designated or elected, include:

(1) Receiving various notifications throughout the international stage and

(2) Accepting for national stage examination international applications which satisfy the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 371.

[52 FR 20047, May 28, 1987]

37 C.F.R. § 1.415   The International Bureau.

(a) The International Bureau is the World Intellectual Property Organization located at Geneva, Switzerland. It is the international intergovernmental organization which acts as the coordinating body under the Treaty and the Regulations (PCT Art. 2 (xix) and 35 U.S.C. 351 (h)).

(b) The major functions of the International Bureau include:

(1) Publishing of international applications and the International Gazette;

(2) Transmitting copies of international applications to Designated Offices;

(3) Storing and maintaining record copies; and

(4) Transmitting information to authorities pertinent to the processing of specific international applications.

[43 FR 20466, May 11, 1978]

37 C.F.R. § 1.416   The United States International Preliminary Examining Authority.

(a) Pursuant to appointment by the Assembly, the United States Patent and Trademark Office will act as an International Preliminary Examining Authority for international applications filed in the United States Receiving Office and in other Receiving Offices as may be agreed upon by the Commissioner, in accordance with agreement between the Patent and Trademark Office and the International Bureau.

(b) The United States Patent and Trademark Office, when acting as an International Preliminary Examining Authority, will be identified by the full title “United States International Preliminary Examining Authority” or by the abbreviation “IPEA/US.”

(c) The major functions of the International Preliminary Examining Authority include:

(1) Receiving and checking for defects in the Demand;

(2) Forwarding Demands in accordance with PCT Rule 59.3;

(3) Collecting the handling fee for the International Bureau and the preliminary examination fee for the United States International Preliminary Examining Authority;

(4) Informing applicant of receipt of the Demand;

(5) Considering the matter of unity of invention;

(6) Providing an international preliminary examination report which is a non-binding opinion on the questions of whether the claimed invention appears: to be novel, to involve an inventive step (to be nonobvious), and to be industrially applicable; and

(7) Transmitting the international preliminary examination report to applicant and the International Bureau.

[52 FR 20047, May 28, 1987; 63 FR 29614, 29617, June 1, 1998]

37 C.F.R. § 1.421   Applicant for international application.

(a) Only residents or nationals of the United States of America may file international applications in the United States Receiving Office. If an international application does not include an applicant who is indicated as being a resident or national of the United States of America, and at least one applicant:

(1) Has indicated a residence or nationality in a PCT Contracting State, or

(2) Has no residence or nationality indicated; applicant will be so notified and, if the international application includes a fee amount equivalent to that required by § 1.445(a)(5), the international application will be forwarded for processing to the International Bureau acting as a Receiving Office. (See also § 1.412(c)(6)).

(b) Although the United States Receiving Office will accept international applications filed by any resident or national of the United States of America for international processing, an international application designating the United States of America will be accepted by the Patent and Trademark Office for the national stage only if filed by the inventor or as provided in §§ 1.422, 1.423 or § 1.425.

(c) International applications which do not designate the United States of America may be filed by the assignee or owner.

(d) The attorney or agent of the applicant may sign the international application Request and file the international application for the applicant if the international application when filed is accompanied by a separate power of attorney to that attorney or agent from the applicant. The separate power of attorney from the applicant may be submitted after filing if sufficient cause is shown for not submitting it at the time of filing. Note that paragraph (b) of this section requires that the applicant be the inventor if the United States of America is designated.

(e) Any indication of different applicants for the purpose of different Designated Offices must be shown on the Request portion of the international application.

(f) Changes in the person, name, or address of the applicant of an international application shall be made in accordance with PCT Rule 92bis.

(g) The wording of PCT Rule 92bis is as follows:

   PCT Rule 92bis -- Recording of Changes in Certain Indications in the Request or
the Demand

   92bis Recording of Changes by the International Bureau

(a) The International Bureau shall, on the request of the applicant or the receiving Office, record changes in the following indications appearing in the request or demand:

(i) person name, residence, nationality or address of the applicant,

(ii) person, name or address of the agent, the common representative or the inventor.

(b) The International Bureau shall not record the requested change if the request for recording
is received by it after the expiration:

(i) Of the time limit referred to in Article 22(1), where Article 39(1) is not applicable with respect to any Contracting State;

(ii) Of the time limit referred to in Article 39(1)(a), where Article 39(1) is applicable with respect to at least one Contracting State.

[43 FR 20466, May 11, 1978, as amended at 53 FR 47810, Nov. 28, 1988; 60 FR 21440, May 2, 1995]

37 C.F.R. § 1.422   When the inventor is dead.

   In case of the death of the inventor, the legal representative (executor, administrator, etc.) of the deceased inventor may file an international application which designates the United States of America.

[43 FR 20466, May 11, 1978]

37 C.F.R. § 1.423   When the inventor is insane or legally incapacitated.

   In case an inventor is insane or otherwise legally incapacitated, the legal representative (guardian, conservator, etc.) of such inventor may file an international application which designates the United States of America.

[43 FR 20466, May 11, 1978]

37 C.F.R. § 1.424   Joint inventors.

   Joint inventors must jointly file an international application which designates the United States of America; the signature of either of them alone, or less than the entire number will be insufficient for an invention invented by them jointly, except as provided in § 1.425.

[43 FR 20466, May 11, 1978]

37 C.F.R. § 1.425   Filing by other than inventor.

   Where an international application which designates the United States of America is filed and where one or more inventors refuse to sign the Request for the international application or cannot be found or reached after diligent effort, the Request need not be signed by such inventor if it is signed by another applicant. Such international application must be accompanied by a statement explaining to the satisfaction of the Commissioner the lack of the signature concerned.

[43 FR 20466, May 11, 1978; 62 FR 53132, 53199, Oct. 10, 1997]

37 C.F.R. § 1.431   International application requirements.

(a) An international application shall contain, as specified in the Treaty and the Regulations, a Request, a description, one or more claims, an abstract, and one or more drawings (where required). (PCT Art. 3(2) and section 207 of the Administrative Instructions.)

(b) An international filing date will be accorded by the United States Receiving Office, at the time to receipt of the international application, provided that:

(1) At least one applicant (§ 1.421) is a United States resident or national and the papers filed at the time of receipt of the international application so indicate (35 U.S.C. 361(a), PCT Art. 11(1)(i)).

(2) The international application is in the English language (35 U.S.C. 361(c), PCT Art. 11(1)(ii)).

(3) The international application contains at least the following elements (PCT Art. 11(1)(iii)):

(i) An indication that it is intended as an international application (PCT Rule 4.2);

(ii) The designation of at least one Contracting State of the International Patent Cooperation Union (§ 1.432);

(iii) The name of the applicant, as perscribed (note §§ 1.421-1.424);
(iv) A part which on the face of it appears to be a description; and

(v) A part which on the face of it appears to be a claim.

(c) Payment of the basic portion of the international fee (PCT Rule 15.2) and the transmittal and search fees (§ 1.445) may be made in full at the time the international application papers required by paragraph (b) of this section are deposited or within one month thereafter. The basic, transmittal, and search fee payable is the basic, transmittal, and search fee in effect on the receipt date of the international application.

(1) If the basic, transmittal and search fees are not paid within one month from the date of receipt of the international application and prior to the sending of a notice of deficiency, applicant will be notified and given one month within which to pay the deficient fees plus a late payment fee equal to the greater of:

(i) Fifty percent of the amount of the deficient fees up to a maximum amount equal to the basic fee; or

(ii) An amount equal to the transmittal fee (PCT Rule 16bis).

(2) The one-month time limit set pursuant to this paragraph to pay deficient fees may not be extended.

(d) If the payment needed to cover the transmittal fee, the basic fee, the search fee, one designation fee and the late payment fee pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section is not timely made in accordance with PCT Rule 16bis.1(e), the Receiving Office will declare the international application withdrawn under PCT Article 14(3)(a).

[43 FR 20466, May 11, 1978, as amended at 50 FR 9383, Mar. 7, 1985; 52 FR 20047, May 28, 1987; 58 FR 4344, Jan. 14, 1993; 63 FR 29614, 29618, June 1, 1998]

 

Continuation: 37 C.F.R. § 1.432 Designation of States and payment of designation and confirmation fees.


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