human: Are the 35 U.S.C. 102(e) dates printed on patents issued before May 28, 2002 accurate in view of the amended 35 U.S.C. 102(e)?
assistant: In most situations, the 35 U.S.C. 102(e) dates printed on patents are accurate ( e.g. , a patent issued from the national stage of an international application filed before 11/29/00). In a few situations, the printed 35 U.S.C. 102(e) dates may not be accurate because the 35 U.S.C. 102(e) dates printed on patents are based on the entry date of the national stage and not the international filing date (e.g., a patent issued from the national stage of an international application filed on or after 11/29/00). A US patent issued from an international application filed on or after 11/29/00 may have a 35 U.S.C. 102(e) date as of the international filing date or none under the amended 35 U.S.C. 102(e). See  Flowchart I [PDF] .