# United States Code/Title 35/Chapter 36/Section 365

From the U.S. House of Representatives.
Section 365. Right of priority; benefit of the filing date of a prior application
(a) In accordance with the conditions and requirements of subsections (a) through (d) of section 119 of this title, a national application shall be entitled to the right of priority based on a prior filed international application which designated at least one country other than the United States.
(b) In accordance with the conditions and requirement of section 119(a) of this title and the treaty and the Regulations, an international application designating the United States shall be entitled to the right of priority based on a prior foreign application, or a prior international application designating at least one country other than the United States.
(c) In accordance with the conditions and requirements of section 120 of this title, an international application designating the United States shall be entitled to the benefit of the filing date of a prior national application or a prior international application designating the United States, and a national application shall be entitled to the benefit of the filing date of a prior international application designating the United States. If any claim for the benefit of an earlier filing date is based on a prior international application which designated but did not originate in the United States, the Director may require the filing in the Patent and Trademark Office of a certified copy of such application together with a translation thereof into the English language, if it was filed in another language.

## Source

(Added Pub. L. 94-131, Sec. 1, Nov. 14, 1975, 89 Stat. 686; amended Pub. L. 98-622, title IV, Sec. 403(a), Nov. 8, 1984, 98 Stat. 3392; Pub. L. 103-465, title V, Sec. 532(c)(4), Dec. 8, 1994, 108 Stat. 4987; Pub. L. 106-113, div. B, Sec. 1000(a)(9) [title IV, Sec. 4732(a)(10)(A)], Nov. 29, 1999, 113 Stat. 1536, 1501A-582; Pub. L. 107-273, div. C, title III, Sec. 13206(b)(1)(B), Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1906.)

## Amendments
### 2002

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 107-273 made technical correction to directory language of Pub. L. 106-113. See 1999 Amendment note below.

### 1999

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 106-113, as amended by Pub. L. 107-273, substituted “Director” for “Commissioner”.

#### Effective Date of 1999 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 106-113 effective 4 months after Nov. 29, 1999, see section 1000(a)(9) [title IV, Sec. 4731] of Pub. L. 106-113, set out as a note under section 1 of this title.

### 1994

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103-465, Sec. 532(c)(4)(A), substituted “subsections (a) through (d) of section 119” for “section 119”.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103-465, Sec. 532(c)(4)(B), substituted “section 119(a)” for “the first paragraph of section 119”.

#### Effective Date of 1994 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 103-465 effective 6 months after Dec. 8, 1994, and applicable to all patent applications filed in the United States on or after that effective date, with provisions relating to earliest filed patent application, see section 534(b)(1), (3) of Pub. L. 103-465, set out as a note under section 154 of this title.

### 1984

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 98-622 substituted “Patent and Trademark Office” for “Patent Office”.

#### Effective Date of 1984 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 98-622 effective Nov. 8, 1984, see section 406(a) of Pub. L. 98-622, set out as a note under section 351 of this title.