2012 US Code
Title 35 - Patents
Part IV - PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (§§ 351 - 376)
Chapter 36 - INTERNATIONAL STAGE (§§ 361 - 368)
Section 366 - Withdrawn international application

Subject to section 367 of this part, if an international application designating the United States is withdrawn or considered withdrawn, either generally or as to the United States, under the conditions of the treaty and the Regulations, before the applicant has complied with the applicable requirements prescribed by section 371(c) of this part, the designation of the United States shall have no effect after the date of withdrawal, and shall be considered as not having been made, unless a claim for the benefit of a prior filing date under section 365(c) of this part was made in a national application, or an international application designating the United States, filed before the date of such withdrawal. However, such withdrawn international application may serve as the basis for a claim of priority under section 365(a) and (b) of this part, if it designated a country other than the United States.

(Added Pub. L. 94–131, §1, Nov. 14, 1975, 89 Stat. 687; amended Pub. L. 98–622, title IV, §401(b), Nov. 8, 1984, 98 Stat. 3391; Pub. L. 112–211, title I, §102(9), Dec. 18, 2012, 126 Stat. 1532.)

Pub. L. 112–211, title I, §§102(9), 103, Dec. 18, 2012, 126 Stat. 1532, provided that, effective on the later of the date that is 1 year after Dec. 18, 2012, or the date that the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs enters into force with respect to the United States, and applicable only to certain applications filed on and after that effective date and patents issuing thereon, this section is amended, in the first sentence, by striking “unless a claim” and all that follows through “withdrawal.” and inserting “unless a claim for benefit of a prior filing date under section 365(c) of this section was made in a national application, or an international application designating the United States, or a claim for benefit under section 386(c) was made in an international design application designating the United States, filed before the date of such withdrawal.” and by striking the second sentence and inserting “However, such withdrawn international application may serve as the basis for a claim of priority under section 365(a) and (b), or under section 386(a) or (b), if it designated a country other than the United States.” See 2012 Amendment note below.

2012—Pub. L. 112–211 substituted “unless a claim for benefit of a prior filing date under section 365(c) of this section was made in a national application, or an international application designating the United States, or a claim for benefit under section 386(c) was made in an international design application designating the United States, filed before the date of such withdrawal.” for “unless a claim for the benefit of a prior filing date under section 365(c) of this part was made in a national application, or an international application designating the United States, filed before the date of such withdrawal.” and “However, such withdrawn international application may serve as the basis for a claim of priority under section 365(a) and (b), or under section 386(a) or (b), if it designated a country other than the United States.” for “However, such withdrawn international application may serve as the basis for a claim of priority under section 365(a) and (b) of this part, if it designated a country other than the United States.”

1984—Pub. L. 98–622 inserted “after the date of withdrawal,” after “effect” and “, unless a claim for the benefit of a prior filing date under section 365(c) of this part was made in a national application, or an international application designating the United States, filed before the date of such withdrawal” after “having been made” in first sentence, and inserted “withdrawn” after “such” in second sentence.

Amendment by Pub. L. 112–211 effective on the later of the date that is 1 year after Dec. 18, 2012, or the date that the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs enters into force with respect to the United States, and applicable only to certain applications filed on and after that effective date and patents issuing thereon, see section 103 of Pub. L. 112–211, set out as a note under section 100 of this title.

Amendment by Pub. L. 98–622 effective six months after Nov. 8, 1984, see section 406(b) of Pub. L. 98–622, set out as a note under section 3 of this title.