Us Code § 368 - Secrecy of certain inventions; filing international applications in foreign countries
Full text of Us Code United States Code § 368 — Secrecy of certain inventions; filing international applications in foreign countries, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.
§ 368. Secrecy of certain inventions; filing international applications in foreign countries
(a) International applications filed in the Patent and Trademark Office shall be subject to the provisions of chapter 17.
(b) In accordance with article 27(8) of the treaty, the filing of an international application in a country other than the United States on the invention made in this country shall be considered to constitute the filing of an application in a foreign country within the meaning of chapter 17, whether or not the United States is designated in that international application.
(c) If a license to file in a foreign country is refused or if an international application is ordered to be kept secret and a permit refused, the Patent and Trademark Office when acting as a Receiving Office, International Searching Authority, or International Preliminary Examining Authority, may not disclose the contents of such application to anyone not authorized to receive such disclosure.
(Added Pub. L. 94–131, §1, Nov. 14, 1975, 89 Stat. 687; amended Pub. L. 98–622, title IV, §403(a), Nov. 8, 1984, 98 Stat. 3392; Pub. L. 99–616, §6, Nov. 6, 1986, 100 Stat. 3486; Pub. L. 112–29, §20(j), Sept. 16, 2011, 125 Stat. 335.)
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2011—Subsecs. (a), (b). Pub. L. 112–29 struck out "of this title" after "17".
1986—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 99–616 substituted a comma for "or" after "Receiving Office" and "International Preliminary Examining Authority" for "both".
1984—Subsecs. (a), (c). Pub. L. 98–622 substituted "Patent and Trademark Office" for "Patent Office".
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 2011 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 112–29 effective upon the expiration of the 1-year period beginning on Sept. 16, 2011, and applicable to proceedings commenced on or after that effective date, see section 20(l) of Pub. L. 112–29, set out as a note under section 2 of this title.
Effective Date of 1986 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 99–616 effective July 1, 1987, and applicable to all international applications pending before or after that date, see section 9 of Pub. L. 99–616, set out as a note under section 351 of this title.
Effective Date of 1984 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 98–622 effective Nov. 8, 1984, see section 406(a) of Pub. L. 98–622, set out as a note under section 351 of this title.
Effective Date
Section effective Jan. 24, 1978, and applicable to international and national applications filed on and after that date, see section 11 of Pub. L. 94–131, set out as a note under section 351 of this title.
CHAPTER 37—NATIONAL STAGE
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2013—Pub. L. 112–274, §1(i), Jan. 14, 2013, 126 Stat. 2457, struck out item 373 "Improper applicant".
1999—Pub. L. 106–113, div. B, §1000(a)(9) [title IV, §4507(12)], as added by Pub. L. 107–273, div. C, title III, §13205(2)(F), Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1903, substituted "Publication of international application" for "Publication of international application: Effect" in item 374.
About This Section
35 U.S.C. § 368 is part of Title 35 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.
This section may be cited in legal writing as 35 U.S.C. § 368. For the most current official text, including any recent amendments, use the official source links below. Do not rely on this page as the sole authority for legal citation or litigation.
How to Read This Statute
Statutes are organized by title, chapter, section, and subsection. Pay attention to words like "shall," "may," "and," and "or," because they determine whether a requirement is mandatory or permissive and whether multiple conditions must all be met. Historical notes and amendments often appear at the end of a section.
Using This Page
This page is intended for research and educational use. Lawyers, students, journalists, and compliance professionals can use it as a starting point, but should always verify the current text through an official government source before relying on it for legal advice, filings, or compliance decisions.