Appendix L Consolidated Patent Laws - July 2025 Update - United States Code Title 35 - Patents

Sep 17, 2026

Appendix L consolidates United States patent law provisions, reflecting the July 2025 update as of July 18, 2025. It reproduces United States Code Title 35 (Patents) organized into parts covering the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, patentability of inventions, application procedures, examination, and review of decisions. The appendix further addresses issuance and scope of patents, including plant patents, designs, secrecy and foreign filings, and patent rights for federally assisted inventions.

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CategoryResearch & Report

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Pages102

Reading Time4 h 17 min

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PART I—UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE

CHAPTER 1—ESTABLISHMENT, OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES, FUNCTIONS

CHAPTER 2—PROCEEDINGS IN THE PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE

CHAPTER 3—PRACTICE BEFORE PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE

CHAPTER 4—PATENT FEES; FUNDING; SEARCH SYSTEMS

PART II—PATENTABILITY OF INVENTIONS AND GRANT OF PATENTS

CHAPTER 10—PATENTABILITY OF INVENTIONS

CHAPTER 11—APPLICATION FOR PATENT

CHAPTER 12—EXAMINATION OF APPLICATION

CHAPTER 13—REVIEW OF PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE DECISION

CHAPTER 14—ISSUE OF PATENT

CHAPTER 15—PLANT PATENTS

CHAPTER 16—DESIGNS

CHAPTER 17—SECRECY OF CERTAIN INVENTIONS AND FILING APPLICATIONS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES

CHAPTER 18—PATENT RIGHTS IN INVENTIONS MADE WITH FEDERAL ASSISTANCE

Appendix L Consolidated Patent Laws—July 2025 Update United States Code Title 35-Patents [Editor Note: Current as of July 18, 2025. The Public Laws are the authoritative source and should be consulted if a need arises to verify the authenticity of the language reproduced below.] United States Code Title 35-Patents PART I—UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE CHAPTER 1—ESTABLISHMENT, OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES, FUNCTIONS Sec. 1 Establishment. 2 Powers and duties. 3 Officers and employees. 4 Restrictions on officers and employees as to interest in patents. 5 Patent and Trademark Office Public Advisory Committees. 6 Patent Trial and Appeal Board. 6 (pre-AIA) Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences. 7 Library. 8 Classification of patents. 9 Certified copies of records. 10 Publications. 11 Exchange of copies of patents and applications with foreign countries. 12 Copies of patents and applications for public libraries. 13 Annual report to Congress. CHAPTER 2—PROCEEDINGS IN THE PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE 21 Filing date and day for taking action. 22 Printing of papers filed. 23 Testimony in Patent and Trademark Office cases. 24 Subpoenas, witnesses. 25 Declaration in lieu of oath. 26 Effect of defective execution. 27 Revival of applications; reinstatement of reexamination proceedings. 28 Award of certificates to accelerate certain matters at the Patent and Trademark Office CHAPTER 3—PRACTICE BEFORE PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE 31 [Repealed] 32 Suspension or exclusion from practice. 33 Unauthorized representation as practitioner. CHAPTER 4—PATENT FEES; FUNDING; SEARCH SYSTEMS 41 Patent fees; patent and trademark search systems. 42 Patent and Trademark Office funding. United States Code Title 35-Patents PART II—PATENTABILITY OF INVENTIONS AND GRANT OF PATENTS CHAPTER 10—PATENTABILITY OF INVENTIONS 100 (note) AIA First inventor to file provisions. 100 Definitions 100 (pre-AIA) Definitions. 101 Inventions patentable. 102 Conditions for patentability; novelty. 102 (pre-AIA) Conditions for patentability; novelty and loss of right to patent. 103 Conditions for patentability; non-obvious subject matter. 103 (pre-AIA) Conditions for patentability; non-obvious subject matter. 104 [Repealed] 104 (pre-AIA) Invention made abroad. 105 Inventions in outer space. CHAPTER 11—APPLICATION FOR PATENT 111 Application. 111 (pre-PLT (AIA)) Application. 111 (pre-AIA) Application. 112 Specification. 112 (pre-AIA) Specification. 113 Drawings. 114 Models, specimens. 115 Inventor's oath or declaration. 115 (pre-AIA) Oath of applicant. 116 Inventors. 116 (pre-AIA) Inventors. 117 Death or incapacity of inventor. 118 Filing by other than inventor. 118 (pre-AIA) Filing by other than inventor. 119 Benefit of earlier filing date; right of priority. 119 (pre-AIA) Benefit of earlier filing date; right of priority. 120 Benefit of earlier filing date in the United States. 120 (pre-AIA) Benefit of earlier filing date in the United States. 121 Divisional applications. 121 (pre-AIA) Divisional applications. 122 Confidential status of applications; publication of patent applications. 123 Micro entity defined. CHAPTER 12—EXAMINATION OF APPLICATION 131 Examination of application. 132 Notice of rejection; reexamination. 133 Time for prosecuting application. 134 Appeal to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. 134 (transitional) Appeal to the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences. 134 (pre-AIA) Appeal to the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences. 135 Derivation proceedings. 135 (pre-AIA) Interferences. CHAPTER 13—REVIEW OF PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE DECISION 141 Appeal to Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. 141 (pre-AIA) Appeal to Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. 142 Notice of appeal. 143 Proceedings on appeal. 143 (pre-AIA) Proceedings on appeal. 144 Decision on appe

FAQs

What is the scope of Appendix L and which law is it consolidating?

Appendix L consolidates provisions of United States Code Title 35 (Patents), organizing the statute into parts and chapters covering multiple stages of patent law.

What parts of Title 35 are included in this appendix?

It includes Part I (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office matters) and Part II (patentability, applications, examination, review, and related patent rights).

As of when is the July 2025 update current?

The editor note states the content is current as of July 18, 2025.

Sep 17, 2026

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