Go to MPEP - Table of Contents
601 Content of Provisional and Nonprovisional Applications [R-2] - 600 Parts, Form, and Content of Application
601 Content of Provisional and Nonprovisional Applications [R-2]
35 U.S.C. 111 Application
(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 of this title;
(B) a drawing as prescribed by section 113 of this title; and
(C) an oath by the applicant as prescribed by section 115 of this title.
(3) FEE AND OATH.-The application must be accompanied by the fee required by law. The fee and oath may be submitted after the specification and any required drawing are submitted, within such period and under such conditions, including the payment of a surcharge, as may be prescribed by the Director.
(4) FAILURE TO SUBMIT.-Upon failure to submit the fee and oath within such prescribed period, the application shall be regarded as abandoned, unless it is shown to the satisfaction of the Director that the delay in submitting the fee and oath was unavoidable or unintentional. The filing date of an application shall be the date on which the specification and any required drawing are received in the 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 the first paragraph of section 112 of this title; and
(B) a drawing as prescribed by section 113 of this title.
(2) CLAIM.-A claim, as required by the second through fifth paragraphs of section 112, shall not be required in a provisional application.
(3) FEE.-
(A) The application must be accompanied by the fee required by law.
(B) The fee may be submitted after the specification and any required drawing are submitted, within such period and under such conditions, including the payment of a surcharge, as may be prescribed by the Director.
(C) Upon failure to submit the fee within such prescribed period, the application shall be regarded as abandoned, unless it is shown to the satisfaction of the Director that the delay in submitting the fee was unavoidable or unintentional.
(4) FILING DATE.-The filing date of a provisional application shall be the date on which the specification and any required drawing are received in the Patent and Trademark Office.
(5) ABANDONMENT.-Notwithstanding the absence of a claim, upon timely request and as prescribed by the Director, a provisional application may be treated as an application filed under subsection (a). Subject to section 119(e)(3) of this title, if no such request is made, the provisional application shall be regarded as abandoned 12 months after the filing date of such application and shall not be subject to revival after such 12-month period.
(6) OTHER BASIS FOR PROVISIONAL APPLICATION.-Subject to all the conditions in this subsection and section 119(e) of this title, and as prescribed by the Director, an application for patent filed under subsection (a) may be treated as a provisional application for patent.
(7) NO RIGHT OF PRIORITY OR BENEFIT OF EARLIEST FILING DATE.-A provisional application shall not be entitled to the right of priority of any other application under section 119 or 365(a) of this title or to the benefit of an earlier filing date in the United States under section 120, 121, or 365(c) of this title.
(8) APPLICABLE PROVISIONS.-The provisions of this title relating to applications for patent shall apply to provisional applications for patent, except as otherwise provided, and except that provisional applications for patent shall not be subject to sections 115, 131, 135, and 157 of this title.
37 CFR 1.51 General requisites of an application.
**>(a) Applications for patents must be made to the Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.<
(b) A complete application filed under § 1.53(b) or § 1.53(d) comprises:
(1) A specification as prescribed by 35 U.S.C. 112, including a claim or claims, see §§ 1.71 to 1.77;
(2) An oath or declaration, see §§ 1.63 and 1.68;
(3) Drawings, when necessary, see §§ 1.81 to 1.85; and
(4) The prescribed filing fee, see § 1.16.
(c) A complete provisional application filed under § 1.53(c) comprises:
(1) A cover sheet identifying:
(i) The application as a provisional application,
(ii) The name or names of the inventor or inventors, (see § 1.41(a)(2)),
(iii) The residence of each named inventor,
(iv) The title of the invention,
(v) The name and registration number of the attorney or agent (if applicable),
(vi) The docket number used by the person filing the application to identify the application (if applicable),
(vii) The correspondence address, and
(viii) The name of the U.S. Government agency and Government contract number (if the invention was made by an agency of the U.S. Government or under a contract with an agency of the U.S. Government);
(2) A specification as prescribed by the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112, see § 1.71;
(3) Drawings, when necessary, see §§ 1.81 to 1.85; and
(4) The prescribed filing fee, see § 1.16.
(d) Applicants are encouraged to file an information disclosure statement in nonprovisional applications. See § 1.97 and § 1.98. No information disclosure statement may be filed in a provisional application.
I. < GUIDELINES FOR DRAFTING A NONPROVISIONAL PATENT APPLICATION UNDER 35 U.S.C. 111(a)
The following guidelines illustrate the preferred layout and content of patent applications filed under 35 U.S.C. 111(a). These guidelines are suggested for the applicant's use. See also 37 CFR 1.77 and MPEP § 608.01(a). If an application data sheet ( 37 CFR 1.76) is used, data supplied in the application data sheet need not be provided elsewhere in the application except that the citizenship of each inventor must be provided in the oath or declaration under 37 CFR 1.63 even if this information is provided in the application data sheet (see 37 CFR 1.76(b)). If there is a discrepancy between the information submitted in an application data sheet and the information submitted elsewhere in the application, the application data sheet will control except for the naming of the inventors and the citizenship of the inventors. See MPEP § 601.05.
>A complete application filed under 35 U.S.C. 111(a) comprises a specification, including claims, as prescribed by 35 U.S.C. 112, drawings as prescribed by 35 U.S.C. 113, an oath or declaration as prescribed by 35 U.S.C. 115, and the prescribed filing fee.<
Arrangement and Contents of the Specification
The following order of arrangement is preferable in framing the specification. See also MPEP § 608.01(a). Each of the lettered items should appear in upper case, without underlining or bold type, as section headings.
(A) Title of the invention. (See MPEP § 606).
(B) Cross-reference to related applications. (See MPEP § 201.11).
(C) Statement regarding federally sponsored research or development. (See MPEP § 310).
(D) Reference to a "Sequence Listing," a table, or a computer program listing appendix submitted on compact disc and an incorporation-by-reference of the material on the compact disc. For computer listings filed on or prior to March 1, 2001, reference to a "Microfiche appendix" (see former 37 CFR 1.96(c) for Microfiche appendix).
(E) Background of the invention. (See MPEP § 608.01(c)).
(1) Field of the invention.
(2) Description of related art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
(F) Brief summary of the invention. (See MPEP § 608.01(d)).
(G) Brief description of the several views of the drawing. (See MPEP § 608.01(f)).
(H) Detailed description of the invention. (See MPEP § 608.01(g)).
(I) Claim(s) (commencing on a separate sheet). (See MPEP § 608.01(i)-(p)).
(J) Abstract of the Disclosure (commencing on a separate sheet). (See MPEP § 608.01(b)).
(K) ** Sequence Listing, if on paper (See 37 CFR 1.821 through 1.825).
II. < GUIDELINES FOR DRAFTING A PROVISIONAL APPLICATION UNDER 35 U.S.C. 111(b)
A provisional application should preferably conform to the arrangement guidelines for nonprovisional applications. The specification must, however, comply with the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112 and refer to drawings, where necessary for an understanding of the invention. Unlike an application filed under 35 U.S.C. 111(a), a provisional application does not need claims. Furthermore, no oath or declaration is required. See MPEP § 201.04(b).
A cover sheet providing identifying information is required for a complete provisional application. In accordance with 37 CFR 1.51(c)(1) the cover sheet must state that it is for a provisional application, it must identify and give the residence of the inventor or inventors, and it must give a title of the invention. The cover sheet must also give the name and registration number of the attorney or agent (if applicable), the docket number used by the person filing the application (if applicable) and the correspondence address. If there is a governmental interest, the cover sheet must include a statement as to rights to inventions made under Federally sponsored research and development (See MPEP § 310). 37 CFR 1.51(c)(1)(viii) requires the name of the Government agency and the contract number, if the invention was developed by or while under contract with an agency of the U.S. Government.
Unlike applications filed under 35 U.S.C. 111(a), provisional applications should not include an information disclosure statement. See 37 CFR 1.51(d). Since no substantive examination is made, such statements are unnecessary. The Office will not accept an information disclosure statement in a provisional application. Any such statement received, will be returned or disposed of at the convenience of the Office.
This cover sheet information enables the Office to prepare a proper filing receipt and provides the Office of Initial Patent Examining (OIPE) with most of the information needed to process the provisional application. See MPEP § 201.04(b) for a sample cover sheet.
III. < THE APPLICATION
The parts of the application may be included in a single document.
The paper standard requirements for papers submitted as part of the record of a patent application is covered in MPEP § 608.01 under the heading "Paper Requirement."
Determination of completeness of an application is covered in MPEP § 506 and § 601.01 - § 601.01(g).
The elements of the application are secured together in a file wrapper, bearing appropriate identifying data including the application number and filing date ( MPEP § 719).
Note
Provisional applications, MPEP § 201.04(b).
Divisional applications, MPEP § 201.06.
Continuation applications, MPEP § 201.07.
Continued prosecution applications, MPEP § 201.06(d).
Reissue applications, MPEP § 1401.
Design applications, MPEP Chapter 1500.
Plant applications, MPEP Chapter 1600.
>Ex Parte< Reexamination, MPEP Chapter 2200.
>Inter Partes Reexamination, MPEP Chapter 2600.<
A model, exhibit, or specimen is normally not admitted as part of the application, although it may be required in the prosecution of the application ( 37 CFR 1.91 and 1.93, MPEP § 608.03).
Copies of an application will be provided by the USPTO upon request and payment of the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.19(b) unless the application has been disposed of (see 37 CFR 1.53(e), (f) and (g)).
All applicants are requested to include a preliminary classification on newly filed patent applications. The preliminary classification, preferably class and subclass designations, should be identified in the upper right-hand corner of the letter of transmittal accompanying the application papers, or in the application data sheet after the title of the invention (see 37 CFR 1.76(b)(3)), for example "Proposed Class 2, subclass 129."
Go to MPEP - Table of Contents