[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 37, Volume 1]
[Revised as of July 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 37CFR1.11]

[Page 21-22]
 
              TITLE 37--PATENTS, TRADEMARKS, AND COPYRIGHTS
 
  CHAPTER I--UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE, DEPARTMENT OF 
                                COMMERCE
 
PART 1--RULES OF PRACTICE IN PATENT CASES--Table of Contents
 
                      Subpart A--General Provisions
 
Sec. 1.11  Files open to the public.

    (a) The specification, drawings, and all papers relating to the file 
of an abandoned published application, except if a redacted copy of the 
application was used for the patent application publication, a patent, 
or a statutory invention registration are open to inspection by the 
public, and copies may be obtained upon the payment of the fee set forth 
in Sec. 1.19(b)(2). See Sec. 2.27 for trademark files.
    (b) All reissue applications, all applications in which the Office 
has accepted a request to open the complete application to inspection by 
the public, and related papers in the application file, are open to 
inspection by the public, and copies may be furnished upon paying the 
fee therefor. The filing of reissue applications, other than continued 
prosecution applications under Sec. 1.53(d) of reissue applications, 
will be announced in the Official Gazette. The announcement shall 
include at least the filing date, reissue application and original 
patent numbers, title, class and subclass, name of the inventor, name of 
the owner of record, name of the attorney or agent of record, and 
examining group to which the reissue application is assigned.
    (c) All requests for reexamination for which the fee under Sec. 
1.20(c) has been paid, will be announced in the Official Gazette. Any 
reexaminations at the initiative of the Director pursuant to Sec. 1.520 
will also be announced in the Official Gazette. The announcement shall 
include at least the date of the request,

[[Page 22]]

if any, the reexamination request control number or the Director 
initiated order control number, patent number, title, class and 
subclass, name of the inventor, name of the patent owner of record, and 
the examining group to which the reexamination is assigned.
    (d) All papers or copies thereof relating to a reexamination 
proceeding which have been entered of record in the patent or 
reexamination file are open to inspection by the general public, and 
copies may be furnished upon paying the fee therefor.
    (e) The file of any interference involving a patent, a statutory 
invention registration, a reissue application, or an application on 
which a patent has been issued or which has been published as a 
statutory invention registration, is open to inspection by the public, 
and copies may be obtained upon paying the fee therefor, if:
    (1) The interference has terminated or
    (2) An award of priority or judgment has been entered as to all 
parties and all counts.

(35 U.S.C. 6; 15 U.S.C. 1113, 1123)

[46 FR 29181, May 29, 1981, as amended at 47 FR 41272, Sept. 17, 1982; 
50 FR 9378, Mar. 7, 1985; 60 FR 14518, Mar. 17, 1995; 62 FR 53181, Oct. 
10, 1997; 65 FR 57051, Sept. 20, 2000]