MPEP Section 409.03(a), At Least One Joint Inventor Available

Executive summary:

This document contains Section 409.03(a) ("At Least One Joint Inventor Available") of the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (the "M.P.E.P."), Eighth Edition, Eighth Revision (July 2010). This page was last updated in January 2011. You may return to the section index to find a particular section. Alternatively, you may search the MPEP using the search box that appears on the left side of every page of BitLaw--you may restrict your search to the MPEP on the search results page.

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409.03(a) At Least One Joint Inventor Available

37 CFR 1.47(a) and 35 U.S.C. 116, second paragraph, requires all available joint inventors to file an application "on behalf of" themselves and on behalf of a joint inventor who "cannot be found or reached after diligent effort" or who refuses to "join in an application."

In addition to other requirements of law ( 35 U.S.C. 111(a) and 115), an application deposited in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office pursuant to 37 CFR 1.47(a) must meet the following requirements:

(A) All the available joint inventors must (1) make oath or declaration on their own behalf as required by 37 CFR 1.63 or 1.175 (see MPEP § 602, § 605.01, and § 1414) and (2) make oath or declaration on behalf of the nonsigning joint inventor as required by 37 CFR 1.64. An oath or declaration signed by all the available joint inventors with the signature block of the nonsigning inventor(s) left blank may be treated as having been signed by all the available joint inventors on behalf of the nonsigning inventor(s), unless otherwise indicated.

(B) The application must be accompanied by proof that the nonsigning inventor (1) cannot be found or reached after diligent effort or (2) refuses to execute the application papers. See MPEP § 409.03(d).