Patent Law FAQ

This FAQ answers all your questions about patent law, patent procedure, and the patent examination process.

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Here’s the complete FAQ:

Patent application records may be available to the public in the following situations:

Patented applications and statutory invention registrations
Published abandoned applications
Published pending applications
Unpublished abandoned applications that are identified or relied upon
Unpublished pending applications whose benefit is claimed
Unpublished pending applications that are incorporated by reference or otherwise identified

For specific details on each situation, refer to 37 CFR 1.14(a)(1)(i)-(vi).