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 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. Therefore, the Office is proposing to eliminate the Disclosure Document Program. Comment Deadline Date: To be ensured of consideration, written comments must be received on or before May 8, 2006. No public hearing will be held.
- Task
- Read the news
- Patent or trademark
- both
- Legacy system
- —
- Current entry point
- www.federalregister.gov/documents/2006/04/06/E6-4833/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
- 2006-04-06
- Document type
- Proposed 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
- Changes To Practice for Continuing Applications, Requests for Continued Examination Practice, and Applications Containing Patentably Indistinct Claims
- Changes to Practice for the Examination of Claims in Patent Applications
- Pilot Program for Extended Time Period To Reply to a Notice To File Missing Parts of Nonprovisional Application
- Request for Comments on Proposed Change To Missing Parts Practice
- Revisions and Technical Corrections Affecting Requirements for Ex Parte and Inter Partes Reexamination
- Request for Comments Regarding the Continuation of the Accelerated Examination Program
- Request for Comments on Interim Guidelines for Examination of Patent Applications for Patent Subject Matter Eligibility
- Request for Comments on Interim Guidelines for Examination of Patent Applications for Patent Subject Matter Eligibility
- Notice of Public Hearing and Request for Comments on Matters Related to the Harmonization of Substantive Patent Law
- April 2007 Revision of Patent Cooperation Treaty Procedures
- Changes To Practice for Continued Examination Filings, Patent Applications Containing Patentably Indistinct Claims, and Examination of Claims in Patent Applications
- Size Standard for Purposes of United States Patent and Trademark Office Regulatory Flexibility Analysis for Patent-Related Regulations
- Request for Comments on Enhancement in the Quality of Patents
- Acceptance, Processing, Use and Dissemination of Chemical and Three-Dimensional Biological Structural Data in Electronic Format
- Request for Comments on Preparation of Patent Applications