§ 173. — Term of design patent.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 35USC173]
TITLE 35--PATENTS
PART II--PATENTABILITY OF INVENTIONS AND GRANT OF PATENTS
CHAPTER 16--DESIGNS
Sec. 173. Term of design patent
Patents for designs shall be granted for the term of fourteen years
from the date of grant.
(July 19, 1952, ch. 950, 66 Stat. 805; Pub. L. 97-247, Sec. 16, Aug. 27,
1982, 96 Stat. 321; Pub. L. 103-465, title V, Sec. 532(c)(3), Dec. 8,
1994, 108 Stat. 4987.)
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on Title 35, U.S.C., 1946 ed., Sec. 77 (R.S. 4931). Language
is changed slightly.
Amendments
1994--Pub. L. 103-465 inserted ``from the date of grant'' after
``years''.
1982--Pub. L. 97-247 substituted ``Patents for designs shall be
granted for the term of fourteen years'' for ``Patents for designs may
be granted for the term of three years and six months, or for seven
years, or for fourteen years, as the applicant, in his application,
elects''.
Effective Date of 1994 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 103-465 effective 6 months after Dec. 8, 1994,
and applicable to all patent applications filed in the United States on
or after that effective date, with provisions relating to earliest filed
patent application, see section 534(b)(1), (3) of Pub. L. 103-465, set
out as a note under section 154 of this title.
Effective Date of 1982 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 97-247 effective Oct. 1, 1982, see section
17(a) of Pub. L. 97-247, set out as a note under section 41 of this
title.
