Changes To Eliminate the Disclosure Document Program
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office) implemented the Disclosure Document Program in 1969 in order to provide an alternative form of evidence of conception of an invention to, for example, a "self-addressed envelope" containing a disclosure of an invention. It appears, however, that few, if any, inventors obtain any actual benefit from a disclosure document, and some inventors who use the Disclosure Document Program erroneously believe that they are actually filing an application for a patent. In addition, a provisional application for patent affords better benefits and protection to inventors than a disclosure document and could be used for the same purposes as a disclosure document if necessary. Therefore, the Office is eliminating the Disclosure Document Program.
- Task
- Read the news
- Patent or trademark
- both
- Legacy system
- —
- Current entry point
- www.federalregister.gov/documents/2006/11/03/E6-18606/changes-to-eliminate-the-disclosure-document-program (permanent link in the Federal Register, verified 2026-09-30)
- Legacy system and where it moved
- No legacy system name mention in title or summary )
- Fee
- No fee mention in title or summary )
- What you need (account or API key)
- No account or key mention in title or summary )
- Published
- 2006-11-03
- Document type
- Rule
- Source
- USPTO documents published in the Federal Register (Federal Register API)(retrieved 2026-10-06)
Everything in the same category
Read the news (all 1988) · both (all 2333)
Related entry points
- Changes to Eliminate the Disclosure Document Program
- Pilot Program for Extended Time Period To Reply to a Notice To File Missing Parts of Nonprovisional Application
- Changes To Practice for Continuing Applications, Requests for Continued Examination Practice, and Applications Containing Patentably Indistinct Claims
- Changes To Practice for Continued Examination Filings, Patent Applications Containing Patentably Indistinct Claims, and Examination of Claims in Patent Applications
- Request for Comments and Notice of Roundtable Event on Leveraging Electronic Resources To Retrieve Information From Applicant's Other Applications and Streamline Patent Issuance
- Changes To Support Implementation of the United States Patent and Trademark Office 21st Century Strategic Plan
- Revision of Patent Term Extension and Adjustment Provisions Relating to Appellate Review and Information Disclosure Statements
- Revision of Patent Term Adjustment Provisions Relating to Appellate Review
- Revision of Power of Attorney and Assignment Practice
- Request for Continued Examination Practice and Changes to Provisional Application Practice
- Changes to Application Examination and Provisional Application Practice
- Provisions for Persons Granted Limited Recognition To Prosecute Patent Applications and Other Miscellaneous Matters
- Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
- Notice of Forum on the Guidance For Determining Subject Matter Eligibility of Claims Reciting or Involving Laws of Nature, Natural Phenomena, and Natural Products
- Change in Practice Regarding Correction of Foreign Priority Claims
- Elimination of Continued Prosecution Application Practice as to Utility and Plant Patent Applications