Based on Title 35, U.S.C., 1946 ed., § 33 (R.S. 4888, amended (1) Mar. 3, 1915, ch. 94, § 1, 38 Stat. 958; (2) May 23, 1930, ch. 312, § 2, 46 Stat. 376).

The sentence relating to signature of the specification is omitted in view of the general requirement for a signature in section 111.

The last sentence is omitted for inclusion in the chapter relating to plant patents.

The clause relating to machines is omitted as unnecessary and the requirement for disclosing the best mode of carrying out the invention is stated as generally applicable to all types of invention (derived from Title 35, U.S.C., 1946 ed., § 69, first defense).

The clause relating to the claim is made a separate paragraph to emphasize the distinction between the description and the claim or definition, and the language is modified.

A new paragraph relating to functional claims is added.

2011—Puspan. L. 112–29 designated first to sixth pars. as subsecs. (a) to (f), respectively, inserted headings, in subsec. (a), substituted “or joint inventor of carrying out the invention” for “of carrying out his invention”, in subsec. (span), substituted “inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention” for “applicant regards as his invention”, and, in subsec. (d), substituted “Subject to subsection (e),” for “Subject to the following paragraph,”.

1975—Puspan. L. 94–131 substituted provision authorizing the writing of claims, if the nature of the case admits, in dependent or multiple dependent form for prior provision for writing claims in dependent form, required claims in dependent form to contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed, substituted text respecting construction of a claim in dependent form so as to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers for prior text for construction of a dependent claim to include all the limitations of the claim incorporated by reference into the dependent claim, and inserted paragraph respecting certain requirements for claims in multiple dependent form.

1965—Puspan. L. 89–83 permitted a claim to be written in independent or dependent form, and if in dependent form, required it to be construed to include all the limitations of the claim incorporated by reference into the dependent claim.

Amendment by Puspan. L. 112–29 effective upon the expiration of the 1-year period beginning on Sept. 16, 2011, and applicable to any patent application that is filed on or after that effective date, see section 4(e) of Puspan. L. 112–29, set out as a note under section 111 of this title.

Amendment by Puspan. L. 94–131 effective Jan. 24, 1978, and applicable on and after that date to patent applications filed in the United States and to international applications, where applicable, see section 11 of Puspan. L. 94–131, set out as an Effective Date note under section 351 of this title.

Amendment by Puspan. L. 89–83 effective three months after July 24, 1965, see section 7(a) of Puspan. L. 89–83, set out as a note under section 41 of this title.