[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 37, Volume 1]
[Revised as of July 1, 2008]
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: A published application; 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). If 
an application was published in redacted form pursuant to Sec. 1.217, 
the complete file wrapper and contents of the patent application will 
not be available if: The requirements of paragraphs (d)(1), (d)(2), and 
(d)(3) of Sec. 1.217 have been met in the application; and the 
application is still pending. See Sec. 2.27 of this title 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 all the requirements of 
Sec. 1.510 or Sec. 1.915 have been satisfied will be announced in the 
Official Gazette. Any reexaminations at the initiative of the

[[Page 22]]

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, 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) Except as prohibited in Sec. 41.6(b), the file of any 
interference is open to public inspection and copies of the file may be 
obtained upon payment of the fee therefor.

(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; 69 FR 49997, Aug. 12, 2004; 70 FR 
56126, Sept. 26, 2005; 71 FR 44223, Aug. 4, 2006]