Patents for designs shall be granted for the term of 15 years from the date of grant.
July 19, 1952, ch. 95066 Stat. 805Pub. L. 97–247, § 1696 Stat. 321Pub. L. 103–465, title V, § 532(c)(3)108 Stat. 4987Pub. L. 112–211, title I, § 102(7)126 Stat. 1532(, ; , , ; , , ; , , .)
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on Title 35, U.S.C., 1946 ed., § 77 (R.S. 4931). Language is changed slightly.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
Pub. L. 112–2112012— substituted “15 years” for “fourteen years”.
Pub. L. 103–4651994— inserted “from the date of grant” after “years”.
Pub. L. 97–2471982— 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”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 2012 Amendment
Pub. L. 112–211section 103 of Pub. L. 112–211section 100 of this titleAmendment by effective on the later of the date that is 1 year after , or the date that the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs enters into force with respect to the United States (), and applicable only to certain applications filed on and after that effective date and patents issuing thereon, see , set out as a note under .
Effective Date of 1994 Amendment
Pub. L. 103–465Pub. L. 103–465section 154 of this titleAmendment by effective 6 months after , 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 , set out as a note under .
Effective Date of 1982 Amendment
Pub. L. 97–247section 17(a) of Pub. L. 97–247section 41 of this titleAmendment by effective , see , set out as a note under .