What is the purpose of reviewing patent applications for national security and property rights issues?

This page is an FAQ based on guidance from the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only: it is not legal advice.

All provisional applications filed under 35 U.S.C. 111(b), nonprovisional applications filed under 35 U.S.C. 111(a), international applications filed under the PCT, and international design applications filed under the Hague Agreement are reviewed by the USPTO for three main purposes:

1. To determine if a foreign filing license can be granted under 35 U.S.C. 184
2. To identify inventions in which the Department of Energy (DOE) or NASA might have property rights
3. To determine if the application contains subject matter detrimental to national security that warrants a secrecy order under 35 U.S.C. 181