PUBLIC LAW 97-247—AUG. 27, 1982
96 STAT. 317
Public Law 97-247 97th Congress An Act To authorize appropriations to the Patent and Trademark Office in the Department of Commerce, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there is authorized to be appropriated for the payment of salaries and necessary expenses of the Patent and Trademark Office to become available for fiscal year 1983, $76,000,000, and in fiscal years 1984 and 1985 such sums as may be necessary as well as such additional or supplemental amounts as may be necessary, for increases in salary, pay, retirement, or other employee benefits authorized by law. Funds available under this section shall be used to reduce by 50 per centum the payment of fees under section 41(a) and (b) of title 35, United States Code, by independent inventors and nonprofit organizations as defined in regulations established by the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks, and by small business concerns as defined in section 3 of the Small Business Act and by regulations established by the Small Business Administration. When so specified and to the extent provided in an appropriation Act, any amount appropriated pursuant to this section and, in addition, such fees as shall be collected pursuant to title 35, United States Code, and the Trademark Act of 1946, as amended (15 U.S.C. 1051 et seq.), may remain available without fiscal year limitation. SEC. 2. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, there is authorized to be appropriated for the payment of salaries and expenses of the Patent and Trademark Office, $121,461,000 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1982, and such additional or supplemental amounts as may be necessary for increases in salary, pay, retirement, or other employee benefits authorized by law. SEC. 3. (a) Section 41(a) of title 35, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: "(a) The Commissioner shall charge the following fees: " 1. On filing each application for an original patent, except in design or plant cases, $300; in addition, on filing or on presentation at any other time, $30 for each claim in independent form which is in excess of three, $10 for each claim (whether independent or dependent) which is in excess of twenty, and $100 for each application containing a multiple dependent claim. For the purpose of computing fees, a multiple dependent claim as referred to in section 112 of this title or any claim depending therefrom shall be considered as separate dependent claims in accordance with the number of claims to which reference is made. Errors in payment of the additional fees may be rectified in accordance with regulations of the Commissioner. "2. For issuing each original or reissue patent, except in design or plant cases, $500. "3. In design and plant cases: "a. On filing each design application, $125.
Aug. 27, 1982 [H.R. 6260] Patent and Trademark Office. Appropriation authorization.
15 USC 632.
Fees.
35 USC 112.
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