Leahy-Smith America Invents Act
Section 22. Patent and Trademark Office funding
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A patent reform act passed by Congress on September 16, 2011.
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SEC. 22. PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE FUNDING.
(a) IN GENERAL.--Section 42(c) of title 35, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by striking “(c)” and inserting “(c)(1)”;
(2) in the first sentence, by striking “shall be available” and inserting “shall, subject to paragraph (3), be available”;
(3) by striking the second sentence; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
“(2) There is established in the Treasury a Patent and Trademark Fee Reserve Fund. If fee collections by the Patent and Trademark Office for a fiscal year exceed the amount appropriated to the Office for that fiscal year, fees collected in excess of the appropriated amount shall be deposited in the Patent and Trademark Fee Reserve Fund. To the extent and in the amounts provided in appropriations Acts, amounts in the Fund shall be made available until expended only for obligation and expenditure by the Office in accordance with paragraph (3).
“(3)(A) Any fees that are collected under sections 41, 42, and 376, and any surcharges on such fees, may only be used for expenses of the Office relating to the processing of patent applications and for other activities, services, and materials relating to patents and to cover a share of the administrative costs of the Office relating to patents.
“(B) Any fees that are collected under section 31 of the Trademark Act of 1946, and any surcharges on such fees, may only be used for expenses of the Office relating to the processing of trademark registrations and for other activities, services, and materials relating to trademarks and to cover a share of the administrative costs of the Office relating to trademarks.”.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.--The amendments made by this section shall take effect on October 1, 2011.