Are there exceptions to the patent ownership restrictions for USPTO employees?

Yes, there are two exceptions to the patent ownership restrictions for USPTO employees: Inheritance Bequest According to 35 U.S.C. 4: ‘Officers and employees of the Patent and Trademark Office shall be incapable, during the period of their appointments and for one year thereafter, of… acquiring, directly or indirectly, except by inheritance or bequest, any patent…

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What are the exceptions to public inspection of patent application files?

While most patent application files are available for public inspection, there are several exceptions: Pending or abandoned applications that have not been published under 35 U.S.C. 122(b) Applications subject to a secrecy order Provisional applications Applications that have been terminated or denied and are no longer open to public inspection Interference files, until judgment is…

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What are the exceptions to public access of patent application files?

While most patent application files are available for public inspection, there are some exceptions: Pending or abandoned applications that have not been published Applications subject to secrecy orders Certain international applications Applications for which the United States is not a designated country Information that would violate personal privacy or proprietary rights These exceptions help protect…

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