35 U.S.C. 100 (note) — AIA First inventor to file provisions
Ninth Edition, Revision 01.2024
The first inventor to file provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA) apply to any application for patent, and to any patent issuing thereon, that contains or contained at any time—
- (A) a claim to a claimed invention that has an
effective filing date on or after March 16, 2013 wherein the effective
filing date is:
- (i) if subparagraph (ii) does not apply, the actual filing date of the patent or the application for the patent containing a claim to the invention; or
- (ii) the filing date of the earliest application for which the patent or application is entitled, as to such invention, to a right of priority under section 119 , 365(a) , 365(b) , 386(a) , or 386(b) or to the benefit of an earlier filing date under section 120 , 121 , 365(c) , or 386(c) ; or
- (B) a specific reference under section 120 , 121 , 365(c) , or 386(c) of title 35, United States Code, to any patent or application that contains or contained at any time such a claim.
(Sept. 16, 2011, Public Law 112-29, sec. 3(n)(1) (effective March 16, 2013), 125 Stat. 284; references to 35 U.S.C. 386 added Dec. 18, 2012, Public Law 112-211, sec. 102(1) (effective May 13, 2015), 126 Stat. 1531.)
Cited authority
Cited by
- 1504.20 Benefit Under 35 U.S.C. 120
- 1810 Filing Date Requirements
- 210 Priority to, or the Benefit of, the Filing Date of a Prior-Filed Application
- 2120 Rejection on Prior Art
- 2132 Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(a)
- 2132.01 Overcoming a Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(a) Rejection based on a Printed Publication or Patent
- 2133 Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(b)
- 2133.01 Rejections of Continuation-In-Part (CIP) Applications
- 2133.02 Rejections Based on Publications and Patents
- 2133.03(a) “Public Use”
- 2133.03(b) “On Sale”
- 2133.03(c) The “Invention”
- 2133.03(d) “In This Country”
- 2133.03(e) Permitted Activity; Experimental Use
- 2133.03(e)(1) Commercial Exploitation
- 2133.03(e)(2) Intent
- 2133.03(e)(3) “Completeness” of the Invention
- 2133.03(e)(4) Factors Indicative of an Experimental Purpose
- 2133.03(e)(5) Experimentation and Degree of Supervision and Control
- 2133.03(e)(6) Permitted Experimental Activity and Testing
- 2133.03(e)(7) Activity of an Independent Third Party Inventor
- 2134 Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(c)
- 2135 Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(d)
- 2135.01 The Four Requirements of Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(d)
- 2136 Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(e)
- 2136.01 Status of Unpublished or Published as Redacted U.S. Application as a Reference Under Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(e)
- 2136.02 Content of the Prior Art Available Against the Claims
- 2136.03 Critical Reference Date
- 2136.04 Different Inventive Entity; Meaning of “By Another”
- 2136.05 Overcoming a Rejection Under Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(e)
- 2136.05(b) Showing The Reference Is Describing An Inventor's Or At Least One Joint Inventor's Own Work
- 2137 Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(f)
- 2138 Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(g)
- 2138.01 Interference Practice
- 2138.02 “The Invention Was Made in This Country”
- 2138.03 “By Another Who Has Not Abandoned, Suppressed, or Concealed It”
- 2138.04 “Conception”
- 2138.05 “Reduction to Practice”
- 2138.06 “Reasonable Diligence”
- 2139.02 Determining Whether To Apply Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(a), (b), or (e)
- 2146 Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(c)
- 2146.01 Prior Art Disqualification Under Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(c)
- 2146.02 Establishing Common Ownership or Joint Research Agreement Under Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(c)
- 2146.03 Examination Procedure With Respect to Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(c)
- 2146.03(a) Provisional Rejection (Obviousness) Under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) Using Provisional Prior Art Under Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(e)
- 2147 Biotechnology Process Applications; Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(b)
- 2151 Overview of the Changes to 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 in the AIA
- 2152 Detailed Discussion of AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(a) and (b)
- 2152.01 Effective Filing Date of the Claimed Invention
- 2152.02 Prior Art Under AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) (Patented, Described in a Printed Publication, or in Public Use, on Sale, or Otherwise Available to the Public)
- 2152.02(a) Patented
- 2152.02(b) Described in a Printed Publication
- 2152.02(c) In Public Use
- 2152.02(d) On Sale
- 2152.02(e) Otherwise Available to the Public
- 2152.02(f) No Requirement of “By Others”
- 2152.03 Admissions
- 2152.04 The Meaning of “Disclosure”
- 2152.05 Determining Whether To Apply 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) or 102(a)(2)
- 2152.06 Overcoming a 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) or 102(a)(2) Rejection
- 2153 Prior Art Exceptions Under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)
- 2153.01 Prior Art Exception Under AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1)(A) To AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) (Grace Period Inventor-Originated Disclosure Exception)
- 2153.01(a) Grace Period Inventor-Originated Disclosure Exception
- 2153.02 Prior Art Exception Under AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1)(B) to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) (Inventor-Originated Prior Public Disclosure Exception)
- 2154 Provisions Pertaining to Subject Matter in a U.S. Patent or Application Effectively Filed Before the Effective Filing Date of the Claimed Invention
- 2154.01 Prior Art Under AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) “U.S. Patent Documents”
- 2154.01(a) WIPO Published Applications
- 2154.01(b) Determining When Subject Matter Was Effectively Filed Under AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(d)
- 2154.01(c) Requirement Of “Names Another Inventor”
- 2154.02 Prior Art Exceptions Under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2) to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2)
- 2154.02(a) Prior Art Exception Under AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(A) to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) (Inventor-Originated Disclosure Exception)
- 2154.02(b) Prior Art Exception Under AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B) to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) (Inventor-Originated Prior Public Disclosure Exception)
- 2154.02(c) Prior Art Exception Under AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) (Common Ownership or Obligation of Assignment)
- 2155 Use of Affidavits or Declarations Under 37 CFR 1.130 To Overcome Prior Art Rejections
- 2155.01 Showing That the Disclosure Was Made by the Inventor or a Joint Inventor
- 2155.02 Showing That the Subject Matter Disclosed Had Been Previously Publicly Disclosed by the Inventor or a Joint Inventor
- 2155.03 Showing That the Disclosure was Made, or That Subject Matter had Been Previously Publicly Disclosed, by Another Who Obtained the Subject Matter Disclosed Directly or Indirectly From the Inventor or a Joint Inventor
- 2155.04 Enablement
- 2155.05 Who May File an Affidavit or Declaration Under 37 CFR 1.130
- 2155.06 Situations in Which an Affidavit or Declaration Is Not Available
- 2156 Joint Research Agreements
- 2158 AIA 35 U.S.C. 103
- 2173.01 Interpreting the Claims
- 701 Statutory Authority for Examination
- 715 Swearing Behind a Reference — Affidavit or Declaration Under 37 CFR 1.131(a)
- 715.01 37 CFR 1.131(a) Affidavits Versus 37 CFR 1.132 Affidavits
- 715.01(a) Reference Is a Patent or Published Application Naming Different Inventive Entity With at Least One Common Inventor
- 715.01(b) Reference and Application Have Common Assignee
- 715.01(c) Reference Is Publication of Inventor’s Own Invention
- 715.01(d) Activities Applied Against the Claims
- 715.02 How Much of the Claimed Invention Must Be Shown, Including the General Rule as to Generic Claims
- 715.03 Genus-Species, Practice Relative to Cases Where Predictability Is in Question
- 715.04 Who May Make Affidavit or Declaration Under 37 CFR 1.131(a); Formal Requirements of Affidavits and Declarations
- 715.05 U.S. Patent or Application Publication Claiming Same Invention
- 715.07 Facts and Documentary Evidence
- 715.07(a) Diligence
- 715.07(b) Interference Testimony Sometimes Used
- 715.07(c) Acts Relied Upon Must Have Been Carried Out in This Country or a NAFTA or WTO Member Country
- 715.10 Review of Affidavit or Declaration for Evidence of Prior Public Use or Sale or Failure to Disclose Best Mode
- 716.10 Attribution Affidavit or Declaration to Overcome Rejection Under Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 or 103
- 717 Prior Art Exceptions under AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) and (2)
- 717.01 Affidavit or Declaration Under 37 CFR 1.130
- 717.01(a) Declarations or Affidavits under 37 CFR 1.130(a) – Attribution
- 717.01(a)(1) Evaluation of Declarations or Affidavits under 37 CFR 1.130(a)
- 717.01(b) Declarations or Affidavits under 37 CFR 1.130(b) – Prior Public Disclosure
- 717.01(b)(1) Evaluation of Declarations or Affidavits under 37 CFR 1.130(b)
- 717.01(b)(2) Determining if the Subject Matter of the Intervening Disclosure is the Same as the Subject Matter of the Inventor–Originated Prior Public Disclosure
- 717.01(c) Who May Make Affidavit or Declaration; Formal Requirements of Affidavits and Declarations
- 717.01(d) U.S. Patent or Application Publication Claiming Same Invention
- 717.02 Prior Art Exception for Commonly Owned or Joint Research Agreement Subject Matter under AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C)
- 717.02(a) Invoking the Prior Art Exception under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C)
- 717.02(b) Evaluating Whether the Prior Art Exception under AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) is Properly Invoked
- 717.02(c) Examination Procedure With Respect to the Prior Art Exception under AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C)
- 717.02(d) Form Paragraphs With Respect to the Prior Art Exception under AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C)
- 718 Affidavit or Declaration to Disqualify Commonly Owned Patent as Prior Art, 37 CFR 1.131(c)
- 804.03 Commonly Owned Inventions of Different Inventive Entities; Non-Commonly Owned Inventions Subject to a Joint Research Agreement
- 35 U.S.C. 100 Definitions
- 35 U.S.C. 100 (pre-AIA) Definitions
- 35 U.S.C. 102 Conditions for patentability; novelty
- 35 U.S.C. 102 (pre-AIA) Conditions for patentability; novelty and loss of right to patent
- 35 U.S.C. 103 Conditions for patentability; non-obvious subject matter
- 35 U.S.C. 103 (pre-AIA) Conditions for patentability; non-obvious subject matter
- 35 U.S.C. 104 (pre-AIA) Invention made abroad
- 35 U.S.C. 119 Benefit of earlier filing date; right of priority
- 35 U.S.C. 119 (pre-AIA) Benefit of earlier filing date; right of priority
- 35 U.S.C. 120 Benefit of earlier filing date in the United States
- 35 U.S.C. 120 (pre-AIA) Benefit of earlier filing date in the United States
- 35 U.S.C. 134 Appeal to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board
- 35 U.S.C. 134 (transitional) Appeal to the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences
- 35 U.S.C. 135 Derivation proceedings
- 35 U.S.C. 135 (pre-AIA) Interferences
- 35 U.S.C. 145 Civil action to obtain patent
- 35 U.S.C. 145 (pre-AIA) Civil action to obtain patent
- 35 U.S.C. 146 Civil action in case of derivation proceeding
- 35 U.S.C. 146 (pre-AIA) Civil action in case of interference
- 35 U.S.C. 154 Contents and term of patent; provisional rights
- 35 U.S.C. 154 (pre-AIA) Contents and term of patent; provisional rights
- 35 U.S.C. 172 Right of priority
- 35 U.S.C. 172 (pre-AIA) Right of priority
- 35 U.S.C. 202 Disposition of rights
- 35 U.S.C. 202 (pre-AIA) Disposition of rights
- 35 U.S.C. 291 Derived Patents
- 35 U.S.C. 291 (pre-AIA) Interfering patents
- 35 U.S.C. 305 Conduct of reexamination proceedings
- 35 U.S.C. 305 (pre-AIA) Conduct of reexamination proceedings
- 35 U.S.C. 311 Inter partes review
- 35 U.S.C. 321 (note) Post-grant review applicability
- 35 U.S.C. 363 International application designating the United States: Effect
- 35 U.S.C. 363 (pre-AIA) International application designating the United States: Effect
- 35 U.S.C. 374 Publication of international application
- 35 U.S.C. 374 (pre-AIA) Publication of international application
- 35 U.S.C. 375 Patent issued on international application: Effect
- 35 U.S.C. 375 (pre-AIA) Patent issued on international application: Effect