I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2024 
To amend title 35, United States Code, to require disclosure of ownership 
and transfers of ownership of patents, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 16, 2013 
Mr. DEUTCH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To amend title 35, United States Code, to require disclosure 
of ownership and transfers of ownership of patents, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘End Anonymous Pat-
ents Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DISCLOSURE OF OWNERSHIP OF PATENTS. 
(a) DISCLOSURE OF OWNERSHIP OF PATENTS.—Sec-
tion 261 of title 35, United States Code, is amended— 
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(1) in the first paragraph, by striking ‘‘Sub-
ject’’ and inserting ‘‘(a) PERSONAL PROPERTY.— 
Subject’’; 
(2) in the second paragraph, by striking ‘‘Appli-
cations’’ and inserting ‘‘(b) ASSIGNMENT.—Applica-
tions’’; 
(3) in the third paragraph, by striking ‘‘A cer-
tificate’’ and inserting ‘‘(c) EVIDENCE OF EXECU-
TION OF TRANSFER.—A certificate’’; 
(4) In the fourth paragraph, by striking ‘‘An 
assignment’’ and inserting ‘‘(d) NOTICE OR REC-
ORDATION REQUIRED.—An assignment’’; and 
(5) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(e) DISCLOSURES OF OWNERSHIP.— 
‘‘(1) NEW PATENTS.—Upon the issuance of a 
patent under this title, the entity to which the pat-
ent is issued shall file with the Office a disclosure 
of the owner of the patent and any real party in in-
terest in the patent. 
‘‘(2) PAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEES.—Upon 
the payment of the maintenance fee required under 
section 41(b), the owner of the patent shall file with 
the Office a disclosure of the identity of the owner 
of the patent and any real party in interest in the 
patent. 
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‘‘(3) NOTICE OF TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP.— 
Whenever any patent, any application for patent, or 
any interest therein, is sold, granted, or conveyed, 
the entity to which the patent, application, or inter-
est is sold, granted, or conveyed shall, within 90 
days after the date of the sale, grant, or conveyance, 
file with the Office a disclosure of the sale, grant, 
or conveyance, and any real party in interest in the 
patent, application, or interest. 
‘‘(4) FORM AND MANNER OF DISCLOSURES.— 
The Director shall prescribe by regulation the form 
and manner in which disclosures are to be made 
under paragraphs (1), (2), and (3). The Director 
shall include, among the real parties in interest, for 
purposes of such disclosures— 
‘‘(A) any entity that has the legal right to 
enforce the patent through an infringement ac-
tion; 
‘‘(B) any ultimate parent entity of an enti-
ty described in subparagraph (A); and 
‘‘(C) any entity that has a controlling in-
terest in the enforcement of the patent, includ-
ing any ultimate parent entity not included 
under subparagraph (A) or (B). 
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‘‘(5) LIMITATION
ON
DAMAGES.—Any entity 
that fails to comply with any of the requirements 
under this subsection with respect to a patent or ap-
plication for patent may, in any action brought by 
the person or entity for infringement of the patent, 
only collect damages from the date on which such 
requirement is met. The Director shall by regulation 
specify what constitutes noncompliance for purposes 
of this paragraph. 
‘‘(6) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, the term 
‘ultimate parent entity’ means an entity that is not 
controlled by any other entity.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect upon the expiration of the 
180-day period beginning on the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
Æ 
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