[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: 37CFR1.47]

[Page 44]
 
              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 B_National Processing Provisions
 
Sec. 1.47  Filing when an inventor refuses to sign or cannot be reached.

    (a) If a joint inventor refuses to join in an application for patent 
or cannot be found or reached after diligent effort, the application may 
be made by the other inventor on behalf of himself or herself and the 
nonsigning inventor. The oath or declaration in such an application must 
be accompanied by a petition including proof of the pertinent facts, the 
fee set forth in Sec. 1.17(g), and the last known address of the 
nonsigning inventor. The nonsigning inventor may subsequently join in 
the application by filing an oath or declaration complying with Sec. 
1.63.
    (b) Whenever all of the inventors refuse to execute an application 
for patent, or cannot be found or reached after diligent effort, a 
person to whom an inventor has assigned or agreed in writing to assign 
the invention, or who otherwise shows sufficient proprietary interest in 
the matter justifying such action, may make application for patent on 
behalf of and as agent for all the inventors. The oath or declaration in 
such an application must be accompanied by a petition including proof of 
the pertinent facts, a showing that such action is necessary to preserve 
the rights of the parties or to prevent irreparable damage, the fee set 
forth in Sec. 1.17(g), and the last known address of all of the 
inventors. An inventor may subsequently join in the application by 
filing an oath or declaration complying with Sec. 1.63.
    (c) The Office will send notice of the filing of the application to 
all inventors who have not joined in the application at the address(es) 
provided in the petition under this section, and publish notice of the 
filing of the application in the Official Gazette. The Office may 
dispense with this notice provision in a continuation or divisional 
application, if notice regarding the filing of the prior application was 
given to the nonsigning inventor(s).

[65 FR 54662, Sept. 8, 2000, as amended at 69 FR 56538, Sept. 21, 2004]