Title 35PatentsRelease 119-73

§366 Withdrawn international application

Title 35 › Part PART IV— - PATENT COOPERATION TREATY › Chapter CHAPTER 36— - INTERNATIONAL STAGE › § 366

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Subject to section 367, if an international patent application that names the United States is withdrawn or treated as withdrawn before the applicant finishes the steps required by section 371(c), the U.S. designation ends on the withdrawal date and is treated as if it was never made. That rule does not apply if, before withdrawal, the applicant filed a claim to use an earlier filing date under section 365(c) in a U.S. national or U.S.-designating international application, or filed a benefit claim under section 386(c) in a U.S.-designating international design application. If the withdrawn international application named a country other than the United States, it can still be used to claim priority under sections 365(a) and (b) or 386(a) and (b).

Full Legal Text

Title 35, §366

Patents — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Subject to section 367 of this part, if an international application designating the United States is withdrawn or considered withdrawn, either generally or as to the United States, under the conditions of the treaty and the Regulations, before the applicant has complied with the applicable requirements prescribed by section 371(c) of this part, the designation of the United States shall have no effect after the date of withdrawal, and shall be considered as not having been made, unless a claim for benefit of a prior filing date under section 365(c) of this section 11 So in original. was made in a national application, or an international application designating the United States, or a claim for benefit under section 386(c) was made in an international design application designating the United States, filed before the date of such withdrawal. However, such withdrawn international application may serve as the basis for a claim of priority under section 365(a) and (b), or under section 386(a) or (b), if it designated a country other than the United States.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2012—Pub. L. 112–211 substituted “unless a claim for benefit of a prior filing date under section 365(c) of this section was made in a national application, or an international application designating the United States, or a claim for benefit under section 386(c) was made in an international design application designating the United States, filed before the date of such withdrawal.” for “unless a claim for the benefit of a prior filing date under section 365(c) of this part was made in a national application, or an international application designating the United States, filed before the date of such withdrawal.” and “However, such withdrawn international application may serve as the basis for a claim of priority under section 365(a) and (b), or under section 386(a) or (b), if it designated a country other than the United States.” for “However, such withdrawn international application may serve as the basis for a claim of priority under section 365(a) and (b) of this part, if it designated a country other than the United States.” 1984—Pub. L. 98–622 inserted “after the date of withdrawal,” after “effect” and “, unless a claim for the benefit of a prior filing date under section 365(c) of this part was made in a national application, or an international application designating the United States, filed before the date of such withdrawal” after “having been made” in first sentence, and inserted “withdrawn” after “such” in second sentence.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2012 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 112–211 effective on the later of the date that is 1 year after Dec. 18, 2012, 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 (May 13, 2015), and applicable only to certain applications filed on and after that

Effective Date

and patents issuing thereon, see section 103 of Pub. L. 112–211, set out as a note under section 100 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1984 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 98–622 effective six months after Nov. 8, 1984, see section 406(b) of Pub. L. 98–622, set out as a note under section 3 of this title.

Effective Date

Section effective Jan. 24, 1978, and applicable to international and national applications filed on and after that date, see section 11 of Pub. L. 94–131, set out as a note under section 351 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

35 U.S.C. § 366

Title 35Patents

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73