37 CFR 1.41 — Inventorship

Ninth Edition, Revision 01.2024

[Editor Note: Applicable only to patent applications filed under 35 U.S.C. 111(a) or 363 on or after September 16, 2012 *]

• (a) An application must include, or be amended to include, the name of the inventor for any invention claimed in the application.
• (b) The inventorship of a nonprovisional application under 35 U.S.C. 111(a) is the inventor or joint inventors set forth in the application data sheet in accordance with § 1.76 filed before or concurrently with the inventor’s oath or declaration. If an application data sheet is not filed before or concurrently with the inventor’s oath or declaration, the inventorship is the inventor or joint inventors set forth in the inventor’s oath or declaration, except as provided for in §§ 1.53(d)(4) and 1.63(d) . Once an application data sheet or the inventor’s oath or declaration is filed in a nonprovisional application, any correction of inventorship must be pursuant to § 1.48 . If neither an application data sheet nor the inventor’s oath or declaration is filed during the pendency of a nonprovisional application, the inventorship is the inventor or joint inventors set forth in the application papers filed pursuant to § 1.53(b) , unless the applicant files a paper, including the processing fee set forth in § 1.17(i) , supplying the name or names of the inventor or joint inventors.
• (c) The inventorship of a provisional application is the inventor or joint inventors set forth in the cover sheet as prescribed by § 1.51(c)(1) . Once a cover sheet as prescribed by § 1.51(c)(1) is filed in a provisional application, any correction of inventorship must be pursuant to § 1.48 . If a cover sheet as prescribed by § 1.51(c)(1) is not filed during the pendency of a provisional application, the inventorship is the inventor or joint inventors set forth in the application papers filed pursuant to § 1.53(c) , unless applicant files a paper including the processing fee set forth in § 1.17(q) , supplying the name or names of the inventor or joint inventors..
• (d) In a nonprovisional application under 35 U.S.C. 111(a) filed without an application data sheet or the inventor’s oath or declaration, or in a provisional application filed without a cover sheet as prescribed by § 1.51(c)(1) , the name and residence of each person believed to be an actual inventor should be provided when the application papers pursuant to § 1.53(b) or § 1.53(c) are filed.
• (e) The inventorship of an international application entering the national stage under 35 U.S.C. 371 is the inventor or joint inventors set forth in the application data sheet in accordance with § 1.76 filed with the initial submission under 35 U.S.C. 371 . Unless the initial submission under 35 U.S.C. 371 is accompanied by an application data sheet in accordance with § 1.76 setting forth the inventor or joint inventors, the inventorship is the inventor or joint inventors set forth in the international application, which includes any change effected under PCT Rule 92bis .
• (f) The inventorship of an international design application designating the United States is the creator or creators set forth in the publication of the international registration under Hague Agreement Article 10(3). Any correction of inventorship must be pursuant to § 1.48 .

[48 FR 2696, Jan. 20, 1983; 48 FR 4285, Jan. 31, 1983; para. (a) revised, 62 FR 53132, Oct. 10, 1997, effective Dec. 1, 1997; paras. (a) and (c) revised, 65 FR 54604, Sept. 8, 2000, effective Nov. 7, 2000; para. (a)(4) revised, 67 FR 520, Jan. 4, 2002, effective Apr. 1, 2002; revised, 77 FR 48776, Aug. 14, 2012, effective Sept. 16, 2012; para. (f) added, 80 FR 17918, Apr. 2, 2015, effective May 13, 2015]

[ *The changes effective Sept. 16, 2012 are applicable only to patent applications filed under 35 U.S.C. 111(a) or 363 on or after Sept. 16, 2012. See § 1.41 (pre‑AIA) for the rule otherwise in effect.]