What is the statutory authority for patent examination?

The statutory authority for patent examination is outlined in 35 U.S.C. 131, which states:

The Director shall cause an examination to be made of the application and the alleged new invention; and if on such examination it appears that the applicant is entitled to a patent under the law, the Director shall issue a patent therefor.

This statute mandates that the USPTO Director must ensure that patent applications are examined to determine if they meet the legal requirements for patentability.

To learn more:

• patent examination
• statutory authority
• USPTO
• patent application