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 § 1.53(b)  or § 1.53(d ) comprises:
      • (1) A specification as prescribed by 35 U.S.C. 112, including a claim or claims, see §§ 1.71  to 1.77;
      • (2) An oath or declaration, see §§ 1.63  and 1.68;
      • (3) Drawings, when necessary, see §§ 1.81  to 1.85; and
      • (4) The prescribed filing fee, search fee, examination fee, and application size fee, see § 1.16.
    • (c) A complete provisional application filed under § 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 § 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 § 1.71;
      • (3) Drawings, when necessary, see §§ 1.81  to 1.85; and
      • (4) The prescribed filing fee and application size fee, see § 1.16.
    • (d) Applicants are encouraged to file an information disclosure statement in nonprovisional applications. See § 1.97  and § 1.98. No information disclosure statement may be filed in a provisional application.

[42 FR 5593, Jan. 28, 1977; paras. (a) and (c), 47 FR 41275, Sept. 17, 1982, effective Oct. 1, 1982; paras. (a) and (b), 48 FR 2709, Jan. 20, 1983, effective Feb. 27, 1983; para. (b), 57 FR 2021, Jan. 17, 1992, effective Mar. 16, 1992; paras. (a) & (b) revised, 60 FR 20195, Apr. 25, 1995, effective June 8, 1995; revised, 62 FR 53131, Oct. 10, 1997, effective Dec. 1, 1997; para. (b) revised, 65 FR 54604, Sept. 8, 2000, effective Nov. 7, 2000; para. (a) revised, 68 FR 14332, Mar. 25, 2003, effective May 1, 2003; paras. (b)(4) and (c)(4) revised, 70 FR 3880, Jan. 27, 2005, effective Dec. 8, 2004]