[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 37, Volume 1]
[Revised as of July 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 37CFR1.51]

[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. 1.51  General requisites of an application.

    (a) Applications for patents must be made to the Director of the 
United States Patent and Trademark Office.
    (b) A complete application filed under Sec. 1.53(b) or Sec. 
1.53(d) comprises:
    (1) A specification as prescribed by 35 U.S.C. 112, including a 
claim or claims, see Sec. Sec. 1.71 to 1.77;
    (2) An oath or declaration, see Sec. Sec. 1.63 and 1.68;
    (3) Drawings, when necessary, see Sec. Sec. 1.81 to 1.85; and
    (4) The prescribed filing fee, see Sec. 1.16.
    (c) A complete provisional application filed under Sec. 1.53(c) 
comprises:
    (1) A cover sheet identifying:
    (i) The application as a provisional application,
    (ii) The name or names of the inventor or inventors, (see Sec. 
1.41(a)(2)),
    (iii) The residence of each named inventor,
    (iv) The title of the invention,
    (v) The name and registration number of the attorney or agent (if 
applicable),
    (vi) The docket number used by the person filing the application to 
identify the application (if applicable),
    (vii) The correspondence address, and
    (viii) The name of the U.S. Government agency and Government 
contract number (if the invention was made by an agency of the U.S. 
Government or under a contract with an agency of the U.S. Government);
    (2) A specification as prescribed by the first paragraph of 35 
U.S.C. 112, see Sec. 1.71;
    (3) Drawings, when necessary, see Sec. Sec. 1.81 to 1.85; and
    (4) The prescribed filing fee, see Sec. 1.16.
    (d) Applicants are encouraged to file an information disclosure 
statement in nonprovisional applications. See Sec. 1.97 and Sec. 1.98. 
No information disclosure statement may be filed in a provisional 
application.

[62 FR 53185, Oct. 10, 1997, as amended at 65 FR 54664, Sept. 8, 2000; 
68 FR 14336, Mar. 25, 2003]