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35 U.S.C. § 102 — Conditions for patentability; novelty
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) Novelty; Prior Art.—** A person shall be entitled to a patent unless—
(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention; or
(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
**(b) Exceptions.—**
(1) **Disclosures made 1 year or less before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.—** — A disclosure made 1 year or less before the effective filing date of a claimed invention shall not be prior art to the claimed invention under subsection (a)(1) if—
(A) the disclosure was made by the inventor or joint inventor or by another who obtained the subject matter disclosed directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor; or
(B) the subject matter disclosed had, before such disclosure, been publicly disclosed by the inventor or a joint inventor or another who obtained the subject matter disclosed directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor.
(2) **Disclosures appearing in applications and patents.—** — A disclosure shall not be prior art to a claimed invention under subsection (a)(2) if—
(A) the subject matter disclosed was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor;
(B) the subject matter disclosed had, before such subject matter was effectively filed under subsection (a)(2), been publicly disclosed by the inventor or a joint inventor or another who obtained the subject matter
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Stable record: federal_law:legal_authorities:record_usc_c782232016fa9c06f82ce576
Source file: Laws/federal/codes/united-states-code/title-35/section-102-conditions-for-patentability-novelty--38860a8ceb.md
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Source location: Title 35, Chapter 10, § 102; chapter-010-patentability-of-inventions.md
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**(a) Novelty; Prior Art.—** A person shall be entitled to a patent unless—
(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention; or
(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
**(b) Exceptions.—**
(1) **Disclosures made 1 year or less before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.—** — A disclosure made 1 year or less before the effective filing date of a claimed invention shall not be prior art to the claimed invention under subsection (a)(1) if—
(A) the disclosure was made by the inventor or joint inventor or by another who obtained the subject matter disclosed directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor; or
(B) the subject matter disclosed had, before such disclosure, been publicly disclosed by the inventor or a joint inventor or another who obtained the subject matter disclosed directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor.
(2) **Disclosures appearing in applications and patents.—** — A disclosure shall not be prior art to a claimed invention under subsection (a)(2) if—
(A) the subject matter disclosed was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor;
(B) the subject matter disclosed had, before such subject matter was effectively filed under subsection (a)(2), been publicly disclosed by the inventor or a joint inventor or another who obtained the subject matter disclosed directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor; or
(C) the subject matter disclosed and the claimed invention, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, were owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person.
**(c) Common Ownership Under Joint Research Agreements.—** Subject matter disclosed and a claimed invention shall be deemed to have been owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person in applying the provisions of subsection (b)(2)(C) if—
(1) the subject matter disclosed was developed and the claimed invention was made by, or on behalf of, 1 or more parties to a joint research agreement that was in effect on or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention;
(2) the claimed invention was made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of the joint research agreement; and
(3) the application for patent for the claimed invention discloses or is amended to disclose the names of the parties to the joint research agreement.
**(d) Patents and Published Applications Effective as Prior Art.—** For purposes of determining whether a patent or application for patent is prior art to a claimed invention under subsection (a)(2), such patent or application shall be considered to have been effectively filed, with respect to any subject matter described in the patent or application—
(1) if paragraph (2) does not apply, as of the actual filing date of the patent or the application for patent; or
(2) if the patent or application for patent is entitled to claim a right of priority under section 119, 365(a), 365(b), 386(a), or 386(b), or to claim the benefit of an earlier filing date under section 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c), based upon 1 or more prior filed applications for patent, as of the filing date of the earliest such application that describes the subject matter.
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a)** The Director may publish in printed, typewritten, or electronic form, the following:1. Patents and published applications for patents, including specifications and drawings, together with copies of the same. The Patent and Trademark Office may print the headings of the drawings for patents for the purpose of photolithography. 2. Certificates of trade-mark registrations, including statements and drawings, together with copies of the same. 3. The Official Gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. 4. Annual indexes of patents and patentees, and of trade-marks and registrants. 5. Annual volumes of decisions in patent and trade-mark cases. 6. Pamphlet copies of the patent laws and rules of practice, laws and rules relating to trade-marks, and circulars or other publications relating to the business of the Office.
**(b)** The Director may exchange any of the publications specified in items 3, 4, 5, and 6 of subsection (a) of this section for publications desirable for the use of the Patent and Trademark Office.
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 35 U.S.C. § 10
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
When used in this title unless the context otherwise indicates—
**(a)** The term “invention” means invention or discovery.
**(b)** The term “process” means process, art or method, and includes a new use of a known process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, or material.
**(c)** The terms “United States” and “this country” mean the United States of America, its territories and possessions.
**(d)** The word “patentee” includes not only the patentee to whom the patent was issued but also the successors in title to the patentee.
**(e)** The term “third-party requester” means a person requesting ex parte reexamination under section 302 who is not the patent owner.
**(f)** The term “inventor” means the individual or, if a joint invention, the individuals collectively who invented or discovered the subject matter of the invention.
**(g)** The terms “joint inventor” and “coinventor” mean any 1 of the individuals who invented or discovered the subject matter of a joint invention.
**(h)** The term “joint research agreement” means a written contract, grant, or cooperative agreement entered into by 2 or more persons or entities for the performance of experimental, developmental, or research work in the field of the claimed invention.
**(i)**
(1) The term “effective filing date” for a claimed invention in a patent or application for patent means—
(A) if subparagraph (B) does not apply, the actual filing date of the patent or the application for the patent containing a claim to the invention; or
(B) the filing date of the earliest application for which the patent or application is entitled, as to such invention, to a right of priority under section 119, 365(a), 365(b), 386(a), or 386(b) or to the benefit of an earlier filing date under section 120, 121, 365(
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 35 U.S.C. § 100
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 35 U.S.C. § 103
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) Establishment.—** The United States Patent and Trademark Office is established as an agency of the United States, within the Department of Commerce. In carrying out its functions, the United States Patent and Trademark Office shall be subject to the policy direction of the Secretary of Commerce, but otherwise shall retain responsibility for decisions regarding the management and administration of its operations and shall exercise independent control of its budget allocations and expenditures, personnel decisions and processes, procurements, and other administrative and management functions in accordance with this title and applicable provisions of law. Those operations designed to grant and issue patents and those operations which are designed to facilitate the registration of trademarks shall be treated as separate operating units within the Office.
**(b) Offices.—** The United States Patent and Trademark Office shall maintain its principal office in the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area, for the service of process and papers and for the purpose of carrying out its functions. The United States Patent and Trademark Office shall be deemed, for purposes of venue in civil actions, to be a resident of the district in which its principal office is located, except where jurisdiction is otherwise provided by law. The United States Patent and Trademark Office may establish satellite offices in such other places in the United States as it considers necessary and appropriate in the conduct of its business.
**(c) Reference.—** For purposes of this title, the United States Patent and Trademark Office shall also be referred to as the “Office” and the “Patent and Trademark Office”.
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 35 U.S.C. § 1
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
When used in this part unless the context otherwise indicates—
**(a)** The term “treaty” means the Patent Cooperation Treaty done at Washington, on June 19, 1970.
**(b)** The term “Regulations”, when capitalized, means the Regulations under the treaty, done at Washington on the same date as the treaty. The term “regulations”, when not capitalized, means the regulations established by the Director under this title.
**(c)** The term “international application” means an application filed under the treaty.
**(d)** The term “international application originating in the United States” means an international application filed in the Patent and Trademark Office when it is acting as a Receiving Office under the treaty, irrespective of whether or not the United States has been designated in that international application.
**(e)** The term “international application designating the United States” means an international application specifying the United States as a country in which a patent is sought, regardless where such international application is filed.
**(f)** The term “Receiving Office” means a national patent office or intergovernmental organization which receives and processes international applications as prescribed by the treaty and the Regulations.
**(g)** The terms “International Searching Authority” and “International Preliminary Examining Authority” mean a national patent office or intergovernmental organization as appointed under the treaty which processes international applications as prescribed by the treaty and the Regulations.
**(h)** The term “International Bureau” means the international intergovernmental organization which is recognized as the coordinating body under the treaty and the Regulations.
**(i)** Terms and expressions not defined in this pa
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 35 U.S.C. § 351
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) In General.—**
(1) **Written application.—** — An application for patent shall be made, or authorized to be made, by the inventor, except as otherwise provided in this title, in writing to the Director.
(2) **Contents.—** — Such application shall include—
(A) a specification as prescribed by section 112;
(B) a drawing as prescribed by section 113; and
(C) an oath or declaration as prescribed by section 115.
(3) **Fee, oath or declaration, and claims.—** — The application shall be accompanied by the fee required by law. The fee, oath or declaration, and 1 or more claims may be submitted after the filing date of the application, within such period and under such conditions, including the payment of a surcharge, as may be prescribed by the Director. Upon failure to submit the fee, oath or declaration, and 1 or more claims within such prescribed period, the application shall be regarded as abandoned.
(4) **Filing date.—** — The filing date of an application shall be the date on which a specification, with or without claims, is received in the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
**(b) Provisional Application.—**
(1) **Authorization.—** — A provisional application for patent shall be made or authorized to be made by the inventor, except as otherwise provided in this title, in writing to the Director. Such application shall include—
(A) a specification as prescribed by section 112(a); and
(B) a drawing as prescribed by section 113.
(2) **Claim.—** — A claim, as required by subsections (b) through (e) of section 112, shall not be required in a provisional application.
(3) **Fee.—** — The application shall be accompanied by the fee required by law. The fee may be submitted after the filing date of the application, within such period and under
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 35 U.S.C. § 111
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) Declaration of policy** Research and development are major factors in the growth and progress of industry and the national economy. The expense of carrying on research and development programs is beyond the means of many small-business concerns, and such concerns are handicapped in obtaining the benefits of research and development programs conducted at Government expense. These small-business concerns are thereby placed at a competitive disadvantage. This weakens the competitive free enterprise system and prevents the orderly development of the national economy. It is the policy of the Congress that assistance be given to small-business concerns to enable them to undertake and to obtain the benefits of research and development in order to maintain and strengthen the competitive free enterprise system and the national economy.
**(b) Assistance to small-business concerns** It shall be the duty of the Administration, and it is empowered—
(1) to assist small-business concerns to obtain Government contracts for research and development;
(2) to assist small-business concerns to obtain the benefits of research and development performed under Government contracts or at Government expense;
(3) to provide technical assistance to small-business concerns to accomplish the purposes of this section;
(4) to develop and maintain a source file and an information program to assure each qualified and interested small business concern the opportunity to participate in Federal agency small business innovation research programs and small business technology transfer programs;
(5) to coordinate with participating agencies a schedule for release of SBIR and STTR solicitations, and to prepare a master release schedule so as to maximize small businesses’ opportunities to respond to
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 15 U.S.C. § 638
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
Page 41
TITLE 35—PATENTS
§ 102
‘‘(b) APPLICABILITY OF AMENDMENTS.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), the
amendments made by this title shall apply only to
international design applications, international ap-
plications, and national applications filed on and
after the effective date set forth in subsection (a),
and patents issuing thereon.
‘‘(2) EXCEPTION.—Sections 100(i) and 102(d) of title
35, United States Code, as amended by this title, shall
not apply to an application, or any patent issuing
thereon, unless it is described in section 3(n)(1) of the
Leahy-Smith America Invents Act [Pub. L. 112–29] (35
U.S.C. 100 note).
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section—
‘‘(1) the terms ‘treaty’ and ‘international design ap-
plication’ have the meanings given those terms in
section 381 of title 35, United States Code, as added by
this title;
‘‘(2) the term ‘international application’ has the
meaning given that term in section 351(c) of title 35,
United States Code; and
‘‘(3) the term ‘national application’ means ‘national
application’ within the meaning of chapter 38 of title
35, United States Code, as added by this title.’’
EFFECTIVE DATE OF 2011 AMENDMENT; SAVINGS
PROVISIONS
Pub. L. 112–29, § 3(n), Sept. 16, 2011, 125 Stat. 293, pro-
vided that:
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Except as otherwise provided in
this section [amending this section and sections 32, 102,
103, 111, 119, 120, 134, 135, 145, 146, 154, 172, 202, 287, 291,
305, 363, 374, and 375 of this title, repealing sections 104
and 157 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as
notes under sections 32, 102, and 111 of this title], the
amendments made by this section shall take effect
upon the expiration of the 18-month period beginning
on the date of the enactment of this Ac
Source: Supplied 2024 U.S. Code historical extraction · 35 U.S.C. § 102
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