
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 2, 2001]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 2, 2001 and January 28, 2002]
[CITE: 35USC301]

 
                            TITLE 35--PATENTS
 
            PART III--PATENTS AND PROTECTION OF PATENT RIGHTS
 
CHAPTER 30--PRIOR ART CITATIONS TO OFFICE AND EX PARTE REEXAMINATION OF 
                                 PATENTS
 
Sec. 301. Citation of prior art

    Any person at any time may cite to the Office in writing prior art 
consisting of patents or printed publications which that person believes 
to have a bearing on the patentability of any claim of a particular 
patent. If the person explains in writing the pertinency and manner of 
applying such prior art to at least one claim of the patent, the 
citation of such prior art and the explanation thereof will become a 
part of the official file of the patent. At the written request of the 
person citing the prior art, his or her identity will be excluded from 
the patent file and kept confidential.

(Added Pub. L. 96-517, Sec. 1, Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 3015.)


                             Effective Date

    Chapter effective July 1, 1981, and applicable to patents in force 
as of July 1, 1981, or issued thereafter, see section 8(b) of Pub. L. 
96-517, set out as an Effective Date of 1980 Amendment note under 
section 41 of this title.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in sections 302, 303, 305, 311 of this 
title.
