Title 28Judiciary and Judicial ProcedureRelease 119-73

§1400 Patents and copyrights, mask works, and designs

Title 28 › Part PART IV— - JURISDICTION AND VENUE › Chapter CHAPTER 87— - DISTRICT COURTS; VENUE › § 1400

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Copyright, mask work, and design lawsuits go where the defendant lives or can be found; patent lawsuits go where the defendant lives or where they infringed and have a regular place of business.

Full Legal Text

Title 28, §1400

Judiciary and Judicial Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Civil actions, suits, or proceedings arising under any Act of Congress relating to copyrights or exclusive rights in mask works or designs may be instituted in the district in which the defendant or his agent resides or may be found.
(b)Any civil action for patent infringement may be brought in the judicial district where the defendant resides, or where the defendant has committed acts of infringement and has a regular and established place of business.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 109, and section 35 of title 17, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Copyrights (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 320, § 35, 35 Stat. 1084; Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, § 48, 36 Stat. 1100). Section consolidates section 35 of title 17, U.S.C., 1940 ed., with part of section 109 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., with necessary changes in phraseology. Subsection (b) is based on section 109 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., with the following changes: Words “civil action” were substituted for “suit,” and words “in law or in equity,” after “shall have jurisdiction” were deleted, in view of Rule 2 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Words in subsection (b) “where the defendant resides” were substituted for “of which the defendant is an inhabitant.” A corresponding change was made in subsection (a). Words “inhabitant” and “resident,” as respects venue, are synonymous. (See reviser’s note under section 1391 of this title.) Words “whether a person, partnership, or corporation” before “has committed” were omitted as surplusage. The provisions of section 109 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., relating to process are incorporated in section 1694 of this title. Jurisdiction and venue of patent suits against residents of foreign countries or persons residing in plurality of districts, see section 72a of title 35, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Patents. Senate Revision AmendmentTitle 17 of the United States Code was enacted into positive law by act July 30, 1947, ch. 391, 61 Stat. 652, and, in such enactment, section 35 of the prior title became section 111 of the new title, and all Acts from which sections of the prior title had been derived, were repealed. Therefore, this paragraph should read: “Based on Title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 109 (Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, § 48, 36 Stat. 1100), and section 111 of Title 17, U.S.C., 1946 ed., Copyrights.” By Senate amendment, section 111 of Title 17 U.S.C., is included in the schedule of

Repeals

. See 80th Congress

Senate Report No. 1559

.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1999—Pub. L. 106–44 amended section catchline generally so as to read “Patents and copyrights, mask works, and designs”. 1998—Pub. L. 105–304, § 503(c)(2), amended section catchline generally, substituting “Patents and copyrights, mask works, and designs” for “Patents and copyrights”. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105–304, § 503(c)(1), inserted “or designs” after “mask works”. 1988—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100–702 inserted “or exclusive rights in mask works” after “copyrights”.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

28 U.S.C. § 1400

Title 28Judiciary and Judicial Procedure

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73