5. The assigues of the entire neres o' an invention is entitled to hoit, eomrespondene via the office u the exeusion of the ipveitor

6. When turn was teel at æssgment of an undvised part of an invention, amentuents and other actions requiring the signature of the mvertor must WINE SHOPTE The WIITtou assent of the assignee: but oflea perters will only be beurt to the post-offere access of the vein. Cless be shall otherwise direct.

7. When an attorney shall have find his power of attorty, duly executed, the correspoudené vl. Ne head with him. *. A double correspondence with the n vertor and an assignee, or with a principal and his attorney, or with two attorneys, cannot generally be allowed.

9. A separate letter should in every case be written in pelation to each distinct subject of inquiry or application. Assignments for record, final fees, and orders for copies or abstracts must be sent to the office in separate letters.

19. When a letter concerns an application, it should state the name of the applicant, the title of the invention, the serial number of the application (see Rule 31), and the date of bling the same, (See Rule 32.)

11. When the letter concerns a patent, it should state the name of the patentee, the title of the invention, and the number and date of the patent.

12, No attention will be paid to ex parte statements or protests of persons concerning pending applications to which they are not parties, unless information of the pendency of such applications shall have been voluntarily communicated by the applicants,

B3, Letters received at the office will be answered, and unders for printed copies filled, without unnecessary delay. Telegrams, if not received before 3 o'clock p. m., can not ordinarily be answered until the following day.

INFORMATION TO CORRESPONDENTS.

11 The office can not respond to inquiries as to the novelty Which unamp of an alleged invention in advance of the filing of an applivation for a patent, nor to inquiries propounded with a view to awerfaming whether any alleged improvements have been patented, and, if so, to whom; nor can it act as an exSounder of the patent law, nor as counselor for individuals, cept ar to questions arising within the office,

Rev. Stat., secs.

models open to

Of the propriety of making an application for a patent, 475,481,484, 4883. the inventor must judge for himself. The office is open to Records and him, and its records and models pertaining to all patents inventors. granted may be inspected either by himself or by any attorney or expert he may call to his aid, and its reports are widely distributed. (See Rule 225.) Further than this the office can render him no assistance until his case comes regularly before it in the manner prescribed by law. A copy of the rules, with this section marked, sent to the individual making an inquiry of the character referred to, is intended as a respectful answer by the office.

Examiners' di

gests.

1887-15.

Caveats and

Rev. Stat., sec.

Examiners' digests are not open to public inspection. 15. Caveats and pending applications are preserved in secrecy. No information will be given, without authority, pending applica respecting the filing by any particular person of a caveat or crecy. of an application for a patent or for the reissue of a patent, 4902. the pendency of any particular case before the office, or the subject-matter of any particular application, unless it shall be necessary to the proper conduct of business before the office, as provided by Rules 97, 103, and 108.

1887-16.

Rev. Stat.,secs.

16. After a patent has issued, the model, specification, drawings, and all documents relating to the case are subject 475, 481, 484, 4883. to general inspection, and copies, except of the model, will copies in patbe furnished at the rates specified in Rule 218.

ATTORNEYS.

Records and ented cases,

1887-17. Attorneys.

17. Any person of intelligence and good moral character may appear as the agent or the attorney in fact of an applicant, upon filing a proper power of attorney, excepting that no person who has been employed in the Patent Office shall be permitted to appear in any case in connection with which he has taken any action while so employed. As the value of patents depends largely upon the careful preparation of the specifications and claims, the assistance of competent counsel will in most cases be of advantage to the applicant; but the value of their services will be proportionate to their skill and honesty, and too much care can not be exercised in their selection. The office can not assume responsibility for Office can not the acts of attorneys, nor can it assist applicants in making selections. It will, however, be unsafe to trust those who pretend to the possession of any facilities except capacity and diligence for procuring patents in a shorter time or with broader claims than others.

aid in selection.

1887-18.

Power of attor

18. Before any attorney, original or associate, will be allowed to inspect papers or take action of any kind, his ney. power of attorney must be filed. But general powers given

by a principal to an associate can not be considered. In each application the written authorization must be filed. A power of attorney purporting to have been given to a firm or coCopartners. partnership will not be recognized, either in favor of the firm or of any of its members, unless all its members shall be named in such power of attorney.

1887-19.

Substitution

19. Substitution or association can be made by an attorney and association. upon the written authorization of his principal; but such authorization will not empower the second agent to appoint a third."

1887-20. Revocation.

1887-21. Attorneys'

views with ex

1887-22.

Decorum and

20. Powers of attorney may be revoked at any stage in the proceedings of a case upon application to and approval by the Commissioner; and when so revoked the office will communicate directly with the applicant, or such other attorney as he may appoint. An attorney will be promptly notified by the examiner in charge of the case of the revocation of his power of attorney. An assignment of an undivided interest will not operate as a revocation of the power previously given; but the assignee of the entire interest may be represented by an attorney of his own selection.

21. Parties or their attorneys will be permitted to examine their cases in the attorneys' room, but not in the rooms of the Personal inter examiners. Personal interviews with examiners will be peraminers. mitted only as hereinafter provided. (See Rule 152.) 22. (a) Applicants and attorneys will be required to concourtesy in busi duct their business with the office with decorum and courPapers re- tesy. Papers presented in violation of this requirement will be returned. But all such papers will first be submitted to the Commissioner, and only returned by his direct order.

turned.

Complaints against examin

ers.

487.
ognize agents.

(b) Complaints against examiners and other officers must be made in separate communications, and will be promptly investigated.

Rev. Stat., sec. (c) For gross misconduct the Commissioner may refuse to Refusal to rec- recognize any person as a patent agent, either generally or in any particular case; but the reasons for such refusal will be duly recorded and be subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior.

1887-23.

23. Inasmuch as applications can not be examined out of their regular order, except in accordance with the provisions Services of Sen of Rule 63, and members of Congress can neither examine ators or Repre sentatives. nor act in patent cases without written powers of attorney, applicants are advised not to impose upon Senators or Representatives labor which will consume their time without any advantageous results.

APPLICANTS.

1887-24.
Rev. Stat., sec.

Applicants.

1887-24.

24. A patent may be obtained by any person who has invented or discovered any new and useful art, machine, 4886. manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, not known or used by others in this country, and not patented or described in any printed publication in this or any foreign country, before his invention or discovery thereof, and not in public use or on sale in the United States for more than two years prior to his application, unless the same is proved to have been abandoned. A patent may also be obtained by any person who, by Rev. Stat., sec. his own industry, genius, efforts, and expense, has invented 4929. and produced any new and original design for a manufacture, bust, statue, alto-relievo, or bas-relief; any new and original design for the printing of woolen, silk, cotton, or other fabrics; any new and original impression, ornament, pattern, print, or picture to be printed, painted, cast, or otherwise placed on or worked into any article of manufacture; or any new, useful, and original shape or configuration of any article of manufacture, the same not having been known or used by others before his invention or production thereof, nor patented nor described in any printed publication, upon payment of the fees required by law and other due proceedings had. (See Rules 79 to 84.)

Designs.

Executors and

1887-25.
Rev. Stat., sec.

4896.

25. In case of the death of the inventor, the application administrators. will be made by and the patent will issue to his executor or administrator. In such case the oath required by Rule 46 will be made by the executor or administrator. In case of the death of the inventor during the time intervening between the filing of his application and the granting of a patent thereon, the letters patent will issue to his legal representative.

Rev. Stat., sec.

26. In case of an assignment of the whole interest in the in- 1887-26. vention, or of the whole interest in the patent to be granted, 4895atents to asthe patent will, upon request of the applicant embodied in signees. the assignment, issue to the assignee; and if the assignee hold an undivided part interest, the patent will, upon like request, issue jointly to the inventor and the assignee; but To inventors and assignees the assignment in either case must first have been entered of jointly. record, and at a day not later than the date of the payment of the final fee (see Rule 215); and if it be dated subsequently to the execution of the application, it must give the date of execution of the application, or the date of filing, or the serial number, so that there can be no mistake as to the particular invention intended. The application and oath must be signed by the actual inventor, if alive, even if the

1887-27.

Rev. Stat., sec. 4923.

Inventor be

patent is to issue to an assignee (see Rules 30, 40); if the inventor be dead, the application may be made by the executor or administrator.

27. If it appear that the inventor, at the time of making his application, believed himself to be the first inventor or lieving himself to discoverer, a patent will not be refused on account of the be first inventor. invention or discovery, or any part thereof, having been known or used in any foreign country before his invention or discovery thereof, if it had not been before patented or described in any printed publication.

1887-28. Joint

ors.

1887-29.

invent.

Rev. Stat., sec. 4887.

Foreign patents..

28. Joint inventors are entitled to a joint patent; neither of them can obtain a patent for an invention jointly invented by them. Independent inventors of distinct and independent improvements in the same machine can not obtain a joint patent for their separate inventions. The fact that one person furnishes the capital and another makes the invention does not entitle them to make an application as joint inventors; but in such case they may become joint patentees, upon the conditions prescribed in Rule 26.

29. The receipt of letters patent from a foreign government will not prevent the inventor from obtaining a patent in the United States unless the invention shall have been introduced into public use in the United States more than two years prior to the filing of the application. But every patent granted for an invention which has been previously patented by the same inventor in a foreign country will be Limit of term so limited as to expire at the same time with the foreign in case of prior foreign patent. patent, or, if there be more than one, at the same time with the one having the shortest unexpired term; but in no case will it be in force more than seventeen years.

1887-30.

Rev. Stat., secs. 4888 to 4892.

Requisites of application.

1887-31.

Rev.Stat.,secs.

THE APPLICATION.

30. Applications for letters patent of the United States must be made to the Commissioner of Patents, and must be signed by the inventor, if alive. (See Rules 26, 33, 40, 46.) A complete application comprises the first fee of $15, a petition, specification, and oath; and drawings, model, or specimen when required. (See Rules 49, 56, 62.) The petition, specification, and oath must be in the English language.

31. An application for a patent will not be placed upon 4888, 4889, 4890, the files for examination until all its parts, except the model or specimen, are received.

4891, 4892, 4894.

Incomplete ap

plication not

Every application signed or sworn to in blank, or without actual inspection by the applicant of the petition and speci