35 U.S.C. 251, Reissue of defective patents
Executive summary:
Potential for Errors: This document contains one section of the U.S. Patent Act (found in Title 35 of the United States Code) as amended by the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act. This page was last updated in November 2011. While the page has been edited to help ensure that the changes made by the AIA to this section are reflected in this document, errors are possible. If you notice such errors, please contact Dan Tysver at (dtysver@bitlaw.com).
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35 U.S.C. 251 Reissue of defective patents.
(a) IN GENERAL.--Whenever any patent is, through error without any deceptive intention, deemed wholly or partly inoperative or invalid, by reason of a defective specification or drawing, or by reason of the patentee claiming more or less than he had a right to claim in the patent, the Director shall, on the surrender of such patent and the payment of the fee required by law, reissue the patent for the invention disclosed in the original patent, and in accordance with a new and amended application, for the unexpired part of the term of the original patent. No new matter shall be introduced into the application for reissue.
(b) MULTIPLE REISSUED PATENTS.--The Director may issue several reissued patents for distinct and separate parts of the thing patented, upon demand of the applicant, and upon payment of the required fee for a reissue for each of such reissued patents.
(c) APPLICABILITY OF THIS TITLE.--The provisions of this title relating to applications for patent shall be applicable to applications for reissue of a patent, except that application for reissue may be made and sworn to by the assignee of the entire interest if the application does not seek to enlarge the scope of the claims of the original patent or the application for the original patent was filed by the assignee of the entire interest.
(d) REISSUE PATENT ENLARGING SCOPE OF CLAIMS.--No reissued patent shall be granted enlarging the scope of the claims of the original patent unless applied for within two years from the grant of the original patent.
Effective Dates for Changes Made to this Section
INVENTOR'S OATH OR DECLARATION
Section 4 of the America Invents Act
(e) EFFECTIVE DATE.--The amendments made by this section shall take effect upon the expiration of the 1–year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act and shall apply to any patent application that is filed on or after that effective date.
ADDING SUBSECTION HEADINGS
Section 20 of the America Invents Act
(l) EFFECTIVE DATE.--The amendments made by this section shall take effect upon the expiration of the 1–year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act and shall apply to proceedings commenced on or after that effective date.