Title 35 — PatentsRelease 119-73
§171 Patents for designs
Title 35 › Part PART II— - PATENTABILITY OF INVENTIONS AND GRANT OF PATENTS › Chapter CHAPTER 16— - DESIGNS › § 171
Summary
You may patent a new, original, ornamental design for a manufactured item. Patent rules for inventions apply; filing date is when the section 112 description and drawings are filed.
Full Legal Text
Title 35, §171
Patents — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Whoever invents any new, original and ornamental design for an article of manufacture may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
(b)The provisions of this title relating to patents for inventions shall apply to patents for designs, except as otherwise provided.
(c)The filing date of an application for patent for design shall be the date on which the specification as prescribed by section 112 and any required drawings are filed.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on Title 35, U.S.C., 1946 ed., § 73 (R.S. 4929, amended (1) May 9, 1902, ch. 783, 32 Stat. 193, (2) Aug. 5, 1939, ch. 450, § 1, 53 Stat. 1212; R.S. 4933). The list of conditions specified in the corresponding section of existing statute is omitted as unnecessary in view of the general inclusion of all conditions applying to other patents. Language is changed.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2012—Pub. L. 112–211 designated first and second pars. as subsecs. (a) and (b), respectively, inserted headings, and added subsec. (c).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2012 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 112–211 effective on the date that is 1 year after Dec. 18, 2012, applicable to patents issued before, on, or after that
Effective Date
and patent applications pending on or filed after that
Effective Date
, and not effective with respect to patents in litigation commenced before that
Effective Date
, see section 203 of Pub. L. 112–211, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 27 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
35 U.S.C. § 171
Title 35 — Patents
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73