§41. Patent fees; patent and trademark search systems

(a) The Commissioner shall charge the following fees:

(1)(A) On filing each application for an original patent, except in design or plant cases, $500.

(B) In addition, on filing or on presentation at any other time, $52 for each claim in independent form which is in excess of 3, $14 for each claim (whether independent or dependent) which is in excess of 20, and $160 for each application containing a multiple dependent claim.

(C) On filing each provisional application for an original patent, $150.

(2) For issuing each original or reissue patent, except in design or plant cases, $820.

(3) In design and plant cases-

(A) on filing each design application, $200;

(B) on filing each plant application, $330;

(C) on issuing each design patent, $290; and

(D) on issuing each plant patent, $410.

(4)(A) On filing each application for the reissue of a patent, $500.

(B) In addition, on filing or on presentation at any other time, $52 for each claim in independent form which is in excess of the number of independent claims of the original patent, and $14 for each claim (whether independent or dependent) which is in excess of 20 and also in excess of the number of claims of the original patent.

(5) On filing each disclaimer, $78.

(6)(A) On filing an appeal from the examiner to the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences, $190.

(B) In addition, on filing a brief in support of the appeal, $190, and on requesting an oral hearing in the appeal before the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences, $160.

(7) On filing each petition for the revival of an unintentionally abandoned application for a patent or for the unintentionally delayed payment of the fee for issuing each patent, $820, unless the petition is filed under section 133 or 151 of this title, in which case the fee shall be $78.

(8) For petitions for 1-month extensions of time to take actions required by the Commissioner in an application-

(A) On ¹ filing a first petition, $78;

(B) on filing a second petition, $172; and

(C) on filing a third petition or subsequent petition, $340.

(9) Basic national fee for an international application where the Patent and Trademark Office was the International Preliminary Examining Authority and the International Searching Authority, $450.

(10) Basic national fee for an international application where the Patent and Trademark Office was the International Searching Authority but not the International Preliminary Examining Authority, $500.

(11) Basic national fee for an international application where the Patent and Trademark Office was neither the International Searching Authority nor the International Preliminary Examining Authority, $670.

(12) Basic national fee for an international application where the international preliminary examination has been paid to the Patent and Trademark Office, and the international preliminary examination report states that the provisions of Article 33(2), (3), and (4) of the Patent Cooperation Treaty have been satisfied for all claims in the application entering the national stage, $66.

(13) For filing or later presentation of each independent claim in the national stage of an international application in excess of 3, $52.

(14) For filing or later presentation of each claim (whether independent or dependent) in a national stage of an international application in excess of 20, $14.

(15) For each national stage of an international application containing a multiple dependent claim, $160.

For the purpose of computing fees, a multiple dependent claim as referred to in section 112 of this title or any claim depending therefrom shall be considered as separate dependent claims in accordance with the number of claims to which reference is made. Errors in payment of the additional fees may be rectified in accordance with regulations of the Commissioner.

(b) The Commissioner shall charge the following fees for maintaining in force all patents based on applications filed on or after December 12, 1980:

(1) 3 years and 6 months after grant, $650.

(2) 7 years and 6 months after grant, $1,310.

(3) 11 years and 6 months after grant, $1,980.

Unless payment of the applicable maintenance fee is received in the Patent and Trademark Office on or before the date the fee is due or within a grace period of six months thereafter, the patent will expire as of the end of such grace period. The Commissioner may require the payment of a surcharge as a condition of accepting within such six-month grace period the late payment of an applicable maintenance fee. No fee will be established for maintaining a design or plant patent in force.

(c)(1) The Commissioner may accept the payment of any maintenance fee required by subsection (b) of this section which is made within twenty-four months after the six-month grace period if the delay is shown to the satisfaction of the Commissioner to have been unintentional, or at any time after the six-month grace period if the delay is shown to the satisfaction of the Commissioner to have been unavoidable. The Commissioner may require the payment of a surcharge as a condition of accepting payment of any maintenance fee after the six-month grace period. If the Commissioner accepts payment of a maintenance fee after the six-month grace period, the patent shall be considered as not having expired at the end of the grace period.

(2) No patent, the term of which has been maintained as a result of the acceptance of a payment of a maintenance fee under this subsection, shall abridge or affect the right of any person or his successors in business who made, purchased or used after the six-month grace period but prior to the acceptance of a maintenance fee under this subsection anything protected by the patent, to continue the use of, or to sell to others to be used or sold, the specific thing so made, purchased, or used. The court before which such matter is in question may provide for the continued manufacture, use or sale of the thing made, purchased, or used as specified, or for the manufacture, use or sale of which substantial preparation was made after the six-month grace period but before the acceptance of a maintenance fee under this subsection, and it may also provide for the continued practice of any process, practiced, or for the practice of which substantial preparation was made, after the six-month grace period but prior to the acceptance of a maintenance fee under this subsection, to the extent and under such terms as the court deems equitable for the protection of investments made or business commenced after the six-month grace period but before the acceptance of a maintenance fee under the subsection.

(d) The Commissioner shall establish fees for all other processing, services, or materials relating to patents not specified in this section to recover the estimated average cost to the Office of such processing, services, or materials, except that the Commissioner shall charge the following fees for the following services:

(1) For recording a document affecting title, $40 per property.

(2) For each photocopy, $.25 per page.

(3) For each black and white copy of a patent, $3.

The yearly fee for providing a library specified in section 13 of this title with uncertified printed copies of the specifications and drawings for all patents in that year shall be $50.

(e) The Commissioner may waive the payment of any fee for any service or material related to patents in connection with an occasional or incidental request made by a department or agency of the Government, or any officer thereof. The Commissioner may provide any applicant issued a notice under section 132 of this title with a copy of the specifications and drawings for all patents referred to in that notice without charge.

(f) The fees established in subsections (a) and (b) of this section may be adjusted by the Commissioner on October 1, 1992, and every year thereafter, to reflect any fluctuations occurring during the previous 12 months in the Consumer Price Index, as determined by the Secretary of Labor. Changes of less than 1 per centum may be ignored.

(g) No fee established by the Commissioner under this section shall take effect until at least 30 days after notice of the fee has been published in the Federal Register and in the Official Gazette of the Patent and Trademark Office.

(h)(1) Fees charged under subsection (a) or (b) shall be reduced by 50 percent with respect to their application to any small business concern as defined under section 3 of the Small Business Act, and to any independent inventor or nonprofit organization as defined in regulations issued by the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks.

(2) With respect to its application to any entity described in paragraph (1), any surcharge or fee charged under subsection (c) or (d) shall not be higher than the surcharge or fee required of any other entity under the same or substantially similar circumstances.

(i)(1) The Commissioner shall maintain, for use by the public, paper or microform collections of United States patents, foreign patent documents, and United States trademark registrations arranged to permit search for and retrieval of information. The Commissioner may not impose fees directly for the use of such collections, or for the use of the public patent or trademark search rooms or libraries.

(2) The Commissioner shall provide for the full deployment of the automated search systems of the Patent and Trademark Office so that such systems are available for use by the public, and shall assure full access by the public to, and dissemination of, patent and trademark information, using a variety of automated methods, including electronic bulletin boards and remote access by users to mass storage and retrieval systems.

(3) The Commissioner may establish reasonable fees for access by the public to the automated search systems of the Patent and Trademark Office. If such fees are established, a limited amount of free access shall be made available to users of the systems for purposes of education and training. The Commissioner may waive the payment by an individual of fees authorized by this subsection upon a showing of need or hardship, and if such a waiver is in the public interest.

(4) The Commissioner shall submit to the Congress an annual report on the automated search systems of the Patent and Trademark Office and the access by the public to such systems. The Commissioner shall also publish such report in the Federal Register. The Commissioner shall provide an opportunity for the submission of comments by interested persons on each such report.

(July 19, 1952, ch. 950, 66 Stat. 796 ; July 24, 1965, Pub. L. 89–83, §§1, 2, 79 Stat. 259 ; Jan. 2, 1975, Pub. L. 93–596, §1, 88 Stat. 1949 ; Nov. 14, 1975, Pub. L. 94–131, §3, 89 Stat. 690 ; Dec. 12, 1980, Pub. L. 96–517, §2, 94 Stat. 3017 ; Aug. 27, 1982, Pub. L. 97–247, §3(a)–(e), 96 Stat. 317–319 ; Sept. 8, 1982, Pub. L. 97–256, title I, §101(1)–(4), 96 Stat. 816 ; Nov. 8, 1984, Pub. L. 98–622, title II, §204(a), 98 Stat. 3388 ; Nov. 6, 1986, Pub. L. 99–607, §1(b)(2), 100 Stat. 3470 ; Dec. 10, 1991, Pub. L. 102–204, §5(a)–(c)(1), (d)(1), (2)(A), 105 Stat. 1637–1639 ; Oct. 23, 1992, Pub. L. 102–444, §1, 106 Stat. 2245 ; Dec. 8, 1994, Pub. L. 103–465, title V, §§532(b)(2), 533(b)(1), 108 Stat. 4986 , 4988.)

Amendment of Subsection (c)(2)

Pub. L. 103–465, title V, §§533(b)(1), 534(a), (b)(3), Dec. 8, 1994, 108 Stat. 4988 , 4990, provided that, effective on date that is one year after date on which the WTO Agreement enters into force with respect to the United States [Jan. 1, 1995], with provisions relating to earliest filed patent application, subsection (c)(2) of this section is amended to read as follows:

(2) A patent, the term of which has been maintained as a result of the acceptance of a payment of a maintenance fee under this subsection, shall not abridge or affect the right of any person or that person's successors in business who made, purchased, offered to sell, or used anything protected by the patent within the United States, or imported anything protected by the patent into the United States after the 6-month grace period but prior to the acceptance of a maintenance fee under this subsection, to continue the use of, to offer for sale, or to sell to others to be used, offered for sale, or sold, the specific thing so made, purchased, offered for sale, used, or imported. The court before which such matter is in question may provide for the continued manufacture, use, offer for sale, or sale of the thing made, purchased, offered for sale, or used within the United States, or imported into the United States, as specified, or for the manufacture, use, offer for sale, or sale in the United States of which substantial preparation was made after the 6-month grace period but before the acceptance of a maintenance fee under this subsection, and the court may also provide for the continued practice of any process that is practiced, or for the practice of which substantial preparation was made, after the 6-month grace period but before the acceptance of a maintenance fee under this subsection, to the extent and under such terms as the court deems equitable for the protection of investments made or business commenced after the 6-month grace period but before the acceptance of a maintenance fee under this subsection.

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on Title 35, U.S.C., 1946 ed., §78 (R.S. 4934, amended (1) May 27, 1908, ch. 200, §1 (part), 35 Stat. 317 , 343; (2) June 25, 1910, ch. 414, §2, 35 Stat. 843 ; (3) Feb. 18, 1922, ch. 58, §9, 42 Stat. 389 , 393; (4) Feb. 14, 1927, ch. 139, §2, 44 Stat. 1098 , 1099; (5) Mar. 2, 1927, ch. 273, §13, 44 Stat. 1335 , 1337; (6) April 11, 1930, ch. 132, §3, 46 Stat. 155 ; (7) June 30, 1932, ch. 314, §§308, 309, 47 Stat. 382 , 410; (8) Aug. 9, 1939, ch. 619, §3, 53 Stat. 1293 ; July 5, 1946, ch. 541, §301 (part), 60 Stat. 446 , 471).

The items in the schedule of fees are rearranged in a few instances and are numbered for convenient reference.

The obsolete fee for appeal from the examiners of interferences to the Board of Appeals is omitted.

The fee for appeal to the Board of Appeals is changed from $15 to $25.

Two provisos in the corresponding section of the existing statute have been made separate sections, see sections 12 and 13.

The fee for a certificate is changed from 50 cents to $1 to correspond to the same fee in the trade-mark statute.

A new item (8) is added to go with section 205.

An omnibus item to take care of miscellaneous minor fees is added; in view of this, two items in the present schedule are omitted.

The fee for reissue applications is changed slightly.

References in Text

Section 3 of the Small Business Act, referred to in subsec. (h)(1), is classified to section 632 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade.

Amendments

1994-Subsec. (a)(1)(C). Pub. L. 103–465, §532(b)(2), added subpar. (C).

1992-Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 102–444 inserted after "section" in first sentence "which is made within twenty-four months after the six-month grace period if the delay is shown to the satisfaction of the Commissioner to have been unintentional, or at any time".

1991-Pub. L. 102–204, §5(d)(2)(A), inserted "; patent and trademark search systems" after "fees" in section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–204, §5(a)(1), amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: "The Commissioner shall charge the following fees:

"1. On filing each application for an original patent, except in design or plant cases, $300; in addition, on filing or on presentation at any other time, $30 for each claim in independent form which is in excess of three, $10 for each claim (whether independent or dependent) which is in excess of twenty, and $100 for each application containing a multiple dependent claim. For the purpose of computing fees, a multiple dependent claim as referred to in section 112 of this title or any claim depending therefrom shall be considered as separate dependent claims in accordance with the number of claims to which reference is made. Errors in payment of the additional fees may be rectified in accordance with regulations of the Commissioner.

"2. For issuing each original or reissue patent, except in design or plant cases, $500.

"3. In design and plant cases:

"a. On filing each design application, $125.

"b. On filing each plant application, $200.

"c. On issuing each design patent, $175.

"d. On issuing each plant patent, $250.

"4. On filing each application for the reissue of a patent, $300; in addition, on filing or on presentation at any other time, $30 for each claim in independent form which is in excess of the number of independent claims of the original patent, and $10 for each claim (whether independent or dependent) which is in excess of twenty and also in excess of the number of claims of the original patent. Errors in payment of the additional fees may be rectified in accordance with regulations of the Commissioner.

"5. On filing each disclaimer, $50.

"6. On filing an appeal from the examiner to the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences, $115; in addition, on filing a brief in support of the appeal, $115, and on requesting an oral hearing in the appeal before the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences, $100.

"7. On filing each petition for the revival of an unintentionally abandoned application for a patent or for the unintentionally delayed payment of the fee for issuing each patent, $500, unless the petition is filed under sections 133 or 151 of this title, in which case the fee shall be $50.

"8. For petitions for one-month extensions of time to take actions required by the Commissioner in an application:

"a. On filing a first petition, $50.

"b. On filing a second petition, $100.

"c. On filing a third or subsequent petition, $200."

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 102–204, §5(a)(2), substituted "in force all patents based on applications filed on or after December 12, 1980:

"(1) 3 years and 6 months after grant, $650.

"(2) 7 years and 6 months after grant, $1,310.

"(3) 11 years and 6 months after grant, $1,980."

for "a patent in force:

"1. Three years and six months after grant, $400.

"2. Seven years and six months after grant, $800.

"3. Eleven years and six months after grant, $1,200."

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 102–204, §5(a)(3), amended subsec. (d) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (d) read as follows: "The Commissioner will establish fees for all other processing, services, or materials related to patents not specified above to recover the estimated average cost to the Office of such processing, services, or materials. The yearly fee for providing a library specified in section 13 of this title with uncertified printed copies of the specifications and drawings for all patents issued in that year will be $50."

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 102–204, §5(b), substituted "on October 1, 1992, and every year thereafter, to reflect any fluctuations occurring during the previous 12 months" for "on October 1, 1985, and every third year thereafter, to reflect any fluctuations occurring during the previous three years".

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 102–204, §5(c)(1), amended subsec. (g) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (g) read as follows: "No fee established by the Commissioner under this section will take effect prior to sixty days following notice in the Federal Register."

Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 102–204, §5(d)(1), added subsec. (i).

1986-Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 99–607 added subsec. (h).

1984-Subsec. (a)(6). Pub. L. 98–622 substituted "Patent Appeals and Interferences" for "Appeals" in two places and inserted "in the appeal" after "oral hearing".

1982-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 97–247, §3(a), substituted provisions setting a schedule of fees for provisions which had directed that the Commissioner establish fees for the processing of an application for a patent, from filing through disposition by issuance or abandonment, for maintaining a patent in force, and for providing all other services and materials related to patents and that fee would be established for maintaining a design patent in force.

Pub. L. 97–256, §101(1), struck out "of Patents" after "Commissioner".

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 97–247, §3(b), substituted provisions setting a fee schedule for maintaining a patent in force for provisions which had directed that, fees for the actual processing of an application for a patent, other than for a design patent, from filing through disposition by issuance or abandonment, were to recover in aggregate 25 per centum of the estimated average cost to the Office of such processing and that fees for the processing of an application for a design patent, from filing through disposition by issuance or abandonment, were to recover in aggregate 50 per centum of the estimated average cost to the Office of such processing.

Pub. L. 97–256, §101(2), substituted "October 1, 1982" for "the first day of the first fiscal year beginning on or after one calendar year after enactment of this Act" and "the first day of the first fiscal year beginning on or after one calendar year after enactment".

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 97–247, §3(c), substituted maintenance provisions for provisions which had directed that fees for maintaining patents in force were to recover 25 per centum of the estimated cost to the Office, for the year in which such maintenance fees were received, of the actual processing all applications for patents, other than for design patents, from filing through disposition by issuance or abandonment, that fees for maintaining a patent in force would be due three years and six months, seven years and six months, and eleven years and six months after the grant of the patent, that unless payment of the applicable maintenance fee was received in the Patent and Trademark Office on or before the date the fee was due or within a grace period of six months thereafter, the patent would expire as of the end of such grace period, and that the Commissioner could require the payment of a surcharge as a condition of accepting within such six-month grace period the late payment of an applicable maintenance fee.

Pub. L. 97–256, §101(3), substituted "October 1, 1996" for "the fifteenth fiscal year following the date of enactment of this Act".

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 97–247, §3(d), substituted provisions relating to fees for all other processing services or materials relating to patents not previously specified for provisions directing that fees for all other services or materials related to patents were to recover the estimated average cost to the Office of performing the service or furnishing the material.

Pub. L. 97–256, §101(4), substituted "October 1, 1982" for "the first day of the first fiscal year beginning on or after one calendar year after enactment".

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 97–247, §3(e), substituted provisions relating to the adjustment of fees to reflect CPI fluctuations for provisions directing that fees were to be adjusted by the Commissioner to achieve the levels of recovery specified in this section but that no patent application processing fee or fee for maintaining a patent in force was to be adjusted more than once every three years.

1980-Pub. L. 96–517 in revising fee provisions by substituting subsecs. (a) to (g) for prior subsecs. (a) to (c), required the Commissioner to establish fees based on recovery of estimated average cost of processing applications, performing miscellaneous services and providing material, required fees for maintenance of patents in force and provided for expiration of patents for nonpayments, prescribed $50 library fee for copies of specifications and drawings, authorized triennial adjustments, prescribed effective date for fees, and incorporated in subsec. (e) waiver provision of former subsec. (c).

1975-Subsec. (a)1. Pub. L. 94–131 inserted sentence respecting consideration of a multiple dependent claim as referred to in section 112 of this title or any claim depending therefrom as separate dependent claims in accordance with the number of claims to which reference is made for the purpose of computing fees.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 93–596 substituted "Patent and Trademark Office" for "Patent Office".

1965-Subsec. (a)1. Pub. L. 89–83, §1, increased the filing fee for original patents from $30 to $65, changed the additional fee from $1 for each claim in excess of twenty to $10 for each claim in independent form which is in excess of one and $2 for each claim (whether independent or dependent) which is in excess of ten, and permitted the rectification of errors in the payment of the additional fees in accordance with regulations of the Commissioner.

Subsec. (a)2. Pub. L. 89–83, §1, applied the issue fee to reissue patents as well as to original patents, increased such fee from $30 to $100, and changed the additional fee from $1 for each claim in excess of twenty to $10 for each page (or portion thereof) of specification as printed and $2 for each sheet of drawing.

Subsec. (a)3. Pub. L. 89–83, §1, changed the fee structure applicable to design patents from a filing fee of $10, $15, or $30 for terms of 3½, 7, or 14 years, respectively, to a filing fee of $20 and an issue fee of $10, $20, or $30 for terms of 3½, 7, or 14 years, respectively.

Subsec. (a)4. Pub. L. 89–83, §1, increased the filing fee for reissue patents from $30 to $65, changed the additional fee from $1 for each claim in excess of twenty over and above the number of claims in the original patent to $10 for each claim in independent form which is in excess of the number of independent claims of the original patent and $2 for each claim (whether independent or dependent) which is in excess of ten and also in excess of the number of claims in the original patent, and permitted the rectification of errors in the payment of the additional fees in accordance with regulations of the Commissioner.

Subsec. (a)5. Pub. L. 89–83, §1, increased the fee for filing disclaimers from $10 to $15.

Subsec. (a)6. Pub. L. 89–83, §1, increased the fee on appeal for the first time from the examiner to the Board of Appeals from $25 to $50, and added the additional $50 fee for filing a brief in support of the appeal.

Subsec. (a)7. Pub. L. 89–83, §1, increased the fee for filing a petition for the revival of an abandoned application or for the delayed payment of the issuance fee from $10 to $15.

Subsec. (a)8. Pub. L. 89–83, §1, inserted fee for the certificate under section 256 of this title, and increased the fee for a certificate under section 255 of this title from $10 to $15.

Subsec. (a)9. Pub. L. 89–83, §1, increased the fee for copies of specifications and drawings of patents (other than design patents) from 25 cents to 50 cents per copy and the fee for copies of specifications and drawings of design patents from 10 cents to 20 cents per copy, and permitted the Commissioner to establish a charge not to exceed $1 per copy for patents in excess of twenty-five pages of drawings and specifications and for plant patents printed in color and to provide applicants, without charge, with copies of specifications and drawings when referred to in a section 132 notice.

Subsec. (a)10. Pub. L. 89–83, §1, changed the recording fee from $3 for every document not exceeding six pages and $1 for each additional two pages or less to a flat $20 fee for every document, and substituted a $3 fee for each additional item where the document relates to more than one patent or application for a 50 cents additional fee for each additional patent or application included in one writing where more than one is so included.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 89–83, §2, added subsec. (c).

Effective Date of 1994 Amendment

Amendment by section 532(b)(2) of Pub. L. 103–465 effective 6 months after Dec. 8, 1994, and applicable to all patent applications filed in the United States on or after that effective date, with provisions relating to earliest filed patent application, see section 534(b)(1), (3) of Pub. L. 103–465, set out as a note under section 154 of this title.

Amendment by section 533(b)(1) of Pub. L. 103–465 effective on date that is one year after date on which the WTO Agreement enters into force with respect to the United States [Jan. 1, 1995], with provisions relating to earliest filed patent application, see section 534(a), (b)(3) of Pub. L. 103–465, set out as a note under section 154 of this title.

Effective Date of 1992 Amendment

Section 2 of Pub. L. 102–444 provided that: "The amendment made by section 1 [amending this section] shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 23, 1992]."

Effective Date of 1991 Amendment

Section 13 of Pub. L. 102–204 provided that: "This Act [amending this section, sections 6, 42, 202, 371, and 376 of this title, and section 1113 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade, enacting provisions set out as notes under this section, section 6 of this title, and section 1113 of Title 15, and amending and repealing provisions set out as notes under this section] takes effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 10, 1991], except that the fees established by the amendment made by section 5(a) [amending this section] shall take effect on or after 1 day after such fees are published in the Federal Register."

Effective Date of 1984 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 98–622 effective three months after Nov. 8, 1984, see section 207 of Pub. L. 98–622, set out as a note under section 7 of this title.

Effective Date of 1982 Amendment

Section 17(a) of Pub. L. 97–247 provided that: "Sections 1, 2, 4, 7, and 13 through 15 of this Act [amending sections 3, 6, 13, 115, and 261 of this title and section 1061 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade] shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act [Aug. 27, 1982]. Sections 3 and 16 of this Act [amending this section, sections 42 and 173 of this title, and section 113 of Title 15] shall take effect on October 1, 1982. The maintenance fees provided for in section 3(b) of this Act [amending this section] shall not apply to patents applied for prior to the date of enactment of this Act. Each patent applied for on or after the date of enactment of this Act shall be subject to the maintenance fees established pursuant to section 3(b) of this Act or to maintenance fees hereafter established by law, as to the amounts paid and the number and timing of the payments."

Effective Date of 1980 Amendment

Section 8 of Pub. L. 96–517 provided that:

"(a) Sections 2, 4, and 5 of this Act [amending this section, section 154 of this title, and section 1113 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade] will take effect upon enactment [Dec. 12, 1980].

"(b) Section 1 of this Act [enacting sections 301 to 307 of this title] will take effect on the first day of the seventh month beginning after its enactment [Dec. 12, 1980] and will apply to patents in force as of that date or issued thereafter.

"(c) Section 3 of this Act [amending section 42 of this title] will take effect on the first day of the first fiscal year beginning on or after one calendar year after enactment [Dec. 12, 1980]. However, until section 3 takes effect, the Commissioner may credit the Patent and Trademark Office appropriation account in the Treasury of the United States with the revenues from collected reexamination fees, which will be available to pay the costs to the Office of reexamination proceedings.

"(d) Any fee in effect as of the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 12, 1980] will remain in effect until a corresponding fee established under section 41 of title 35, United States Code, or section 1113 of title 15, United States Code, takes effect.

"(e) Fees for maintaining a patent in force will not be applicable to patents applied for prior to the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 12, 1980].

"(f) Sections 6 and 7 of this Act [enacting sections 200 to 211 of this title and amending sections 2186, 2457, and 5908 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare] will take effect on the first day of the seventh month beginning after its enactment [Dec. 12, 1980]. Implementing regulations may be issued earlier.

"(g) Sections 8 and 9 [enacting this note and provision set out as a note under section 14 of this title] will take effect on the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 12, 1980]."

Effective Date of 1975 Amendments

Amendment by Pub. L. 94–131 effective Jan. 24, 1978, and applicable on and after that date to patent applications filed in the United States and to international applications, where applicable, see section 11 of Pub. L. 94–131, set out as an Effective Date note under section 351 of this title.

Amendment by Pub. L. 93–596 effective Jan. 2, 1975, see section 4 of Pub. L. 93–596, set out as a note under section 1111 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade.

Effective Date of 1965 Amendment

Section 7 of Pub. L. 89–83 provided that:

"(a) This Act [amending this section, sections 112, 151, 154, and 282 of this title, and section 1113 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade, and repealing section 266 of this title] shall take effect three months after its enactment [July 24, 1965].

"(b) Items 1, 3, and 4 of section 41(a) of title 35, United States Code, as amended by section 1 of this Act, do not apply in further proceedings in applications filed prior to the effective date of this Act.

"(c) Item 2 of section 41(a), as amended by section 1 of this Act [item 2 of subsec. (a) of this section], and section 4 of this Act [amending section 151 of this title] do not apply in cases in which the notice of allowance of the application was sent, or in which a patent issued, prior to the effective date; and, in such cases, the fee due is the fee specified in this title prior to the effective date of this Act.

"(d) Item 3 of section 31 of the Trademark Act, as amended by section 3 of this Act [item 3 of section 1113(a) of Title 15], applies only in the case of registrations issued and registrations published under the provisions of section 12(c) of the Trademark Act [section 1062(c) of Title 15] on or after the effective date of this Act."

Waiver of Certain Restrictions

Section 2(c) of Pub. L. 102–204 provided that: "Surcharges established for fiscal year 1992 under section 10101(c) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 [Pub. L. 101–508, set out below] may take effect on or after 1 day after such surcharges are published in the Federal Register. Section 553 of title 5, United States Code, shall not apply to the establishment of such surcharges for fiscal year 1992."

Unspecified Patent Fees for Fiscal Year 1992; Effective Date Contingent Upon Publication in Federal Register

Section 5(c)(2) of Pub. L. 102–204 provided that: "Fees established by the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks under section 41(d) of title 35, United States Code, during fiscal year 1992 may take effect on or after 1 day after such fees are published in the Federal Register. Section 41(g) of title 35, United States Code, and section 553 of title 5, United States Code, shall not apply to the establishment of such fees during fiscal year 1992."

Patent Information Dissemination

Section 11 of Pub. L. 102–204 provided that:

"(a) Definitions.-For purposes of this section-

"(1) the term 'CD–ROMs' means compact discs formatted with read-only memory, including such discs that make use of advanced optical storage technology;

"(2) the term 'classified patent information' means patent information organized by the subject matter of the claimed invention according to the United States Patent Classification System or the classification system used by the country or authority that issues a patent;

"(3) the term 'Commissioner' means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks; and

"(4) the term 'patent information' means a complete and exact facsimile of a patent or patent application, including the text and all images contained therein (such as drawings, diagrams, formulas, and tables).

"(b) Information Dissemination Program.-No later than January 1, 1992, the Commissioner shall establish a demonstration program which shall make patent information available in accordance with the provisions of this section, through October 1, 1992. The Commissioner shall produce master CD–ROMs containing classified patent information and provide copies of them to the public for purchase.

"(c) Information to be Disseminated.-The patent information that shall be disseminated pursuant to this section shall be patent information in the possession of the Commissioner in computer readable form, including information on selected subclasses of United States patents, as determined by the Commissioner.

"(d) Fees.-The Commissioner shall establish fees for the purchase of CD–ROMs, at a rate sufficient to recover the estimated average marginal cost of producing and processing purchase orders for copies of master CD–ROMs.

"(e) Report.-On the date that is 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 10, 1991] the Commissioner shall submit to Congress a report on the implementation of this section."

Surcharges on Patent Fees

Pub. L. 101–508, title X, §10101(a)–(c), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1388–391 , as amended by Pub. L. 102–204, §2(b), Dec. 10, 1991, 105 Stat. 1636 ; Pub. L. 103–66, title VIII, §8001, Aug. 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 402 , provided that:

"(a) Surcharges.-There shall be a surcharge, during fiscal years 1991 through 1998, on all fees authorized by subsections (a) and (b) of section 41 of title 35, United States Code, in order to ensure that the amounts specified in subsection (c) are collected.

"(b) Use of Surcharges.-Notwithstanding section 3302 of title 31, United States Code, beginning in fiscal year 1991, all surcharges collected by the Patent and Trademark Office-

"(1) in fiscal year 1991-

"(A) shall be credited to a separate account established in the Treasury and ascribed to the Patent and Trademark Office activities in the Department of Commerce as offsetting receipts, and

"(B) of these surcharges, $91,000,000 shall be available only to the Patent and Trademark Office, to the extent provided in appropriation Acts, and the additional surcharge receipts, totalling $18,807,000, shall be available only to the Patent and Trademark Office without appropriation, for all authorized activities and operations of the office, including all direct and indirect costs of services provided by the office,

"(2) in fiscal years 1992 through 1998-

"(A) shall be credited to a separate account established in the Treasury and ascribed to the Patent and Trademark Office activities in the Department of Commerce as offsetting receipts, and

"(B) shall be available only to the Patent and Trademark Office, to the extent provided in appropriation Acts, for all authorized activities and operations of the office, including all direct and indirect costs of services provided by the office, and

"(3) shall remain available until expended.

"(c) Establishment of Surcharges.-In fiscal years 1991 through 1998, the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks shall establish surcharges under subsection (a), subject to the provisions of section 553 of title 5, United States Code, in order to ensure that the following amounts, but not more than the following amounts, of patent and trademark user fees are collected:

"(1) $109,807,000 in fiscal year 1991.

"(2) $95,000,000 in fiscal year 1992.

"(3) $99,000,000 in fiscal year 1993.

"(4) $103,000,000 in fiscal year 1994.

"(5) $107,000,000 in fiscal year 1995.

"(6) $111,000,000 in fiscal year 1996.

"(7) $115,000,000 in fiscal year 1997.

"(8) $119,000,000 in fiscal year 1998."

Effect on Other Laws

Pub. L. 101–508, title X, §10103, Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1388–392 , provided that: "Except for section 10101(d) [not classified to the Code], nothing in this subtitle [subtitle B (§§10101–10103) of title X of Pub. L. 101–508, enacting provisions set out as notes under this section and section 1 of this title] affects the provisions of Public Law 100–703 (102 Stat. 4674 and following) [see Tables for classification]."

Public Access to Patent and Trademark Office Information

Pub. L. 100–703, title I, §104(b), (c), Nov. 19, 1988, 102 Stat. 4675 , provided that the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks maintain patent and trademark collections, search rooms, and libraries for use by the public without fees and authorized establishment of fees for access by the public to automated search systems of the Patent and Trademark Office, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 102–204, §9, Dec. 10, 1991, 105 Stat. 1641 . See section 41(i) of this title.

Pub. L. 99–607, §4, Nov. 6, 1986, 100 Stat. 3471 , provided that the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks could not impose a fee for use of public patent or trademark search rooms and libraries and that costs of such rooms and libraries should come from amounts appropriated by Congress, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 100–703, title I, §104(a), Nov. 19, 1988, 102 Stat. 4675 .

Patent Fees

Pub. L. 100–703, title I, §103(b), Nov. 19, 1988, 102 Stat. 4674 , provided that: "The Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks may not, during fiscal years 1989, 1990, and 1991, increase fees established under section 41(d) of title 35, United States Code, except for purposes of making adjustments which in the aggregate do not exceed fluctuations during the previous three years in the Consumer Price Index, as determined by the Secretary of Labor. The Commissioner also may not establish additional fees under such section during such fiscal years."

Similar provisions were contained in the following prior authorization act:

Pub. L. 99–607, §3(b), Nov. 6, 1986, 100 Stat. 3471 .

Section 404 of Pub. L. 98–622 provided that:

"(a) Notwithstanding section 41 of title 35, United States Code, as in effect before the enactment of Public Law 97–247 (96 Stat. 317) [Aug. 27, 1982], no fee shall be collected for maintaining a plant patent in force.

"(b) Notwithstanding section 41(c) of title 35, United States Code, as in effect before the enactment of Public Law 97–247 (96 Stat. 317) [Aug. 27, 1982], the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks may accept, after the six-month grace period referred to in such section 41(c), the payment of any maintenance fee due on any patent based on an application filed in the Patent and Trademark Office on or after December 12, 1980, and before August 27, 1982, to the same extent as in the case of patents based on applications filed in the Patent and Trademark Office on or after August 27, 1982."

Cross References

Payment of final fee, see section 151 of this title.

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in sections 13, 119, 302, 371, 376 of this title.

¹ So in original. Probably should not be capitalized.