# 37 C.F.R. § 5.2 (2026): Secrecy order

> Federal · Regulations · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T37_P5_S5_2

## Section

- **Citation:** 37 C.F.R. § 5.2 (2026)
- **Heading:** Secrecy order
- **Jurisdiction:** Federal
- **Kind:** Regulations
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** August 14, 2026
- **Source:** Compiled text
- **Location:** Title 37 CFR: Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights / Chapter I: UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE / Part 5: SECRECY OF CERTAIN INVENTIONS AND LICENSES TO EXPORT AND FILE APPLICATIONS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES / § 5.2: § 5.2   Secrecy order.

## Text

(a) When notified by the chief officer of a defense agency that publication or disclosure of the invention by the granting of a patent would be detrimental to the national security, an order that the invention be kept secret will be issued by the Commissioner for Patents.
(b) Any request for compensation as provided in 35 U.S.C. 183 must not be made to the Patent and Trademark Office, but directly to the department or agency which caused the secrecy order to be issued.
(c) An application disclosing any significant part of the subject matter of an application under a secrecy order pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section also falls within the scope of such secrecy order. Any such application that is pending before the Office must be promptly brought to the attention of Licensing and Review, unless such application is itself under a secrecy order pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section. Any subsequently filed application containing any significant part of the subject matter of an application under a secrecy order pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section must either be hand-carried to Licensing and Review or mailed to the Office in compliance with § 5.1(a).
[24 FR 10381, Dec. 22, 1959, as amended at 62 FR 53203, Oct. 10, 1997; 65 FR 54683, Sept. 8, 2000]

## Nearby sections

- [37 C.F.R. § 5.1 (2026) § 5.1   Applications and correspondence involving national security.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T37_P5_S5_1.md)
- [37 C.F.R. § 5.2 (2026) § 5.2   Secrecy order.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T37_P5_S5_2.md)
- [37 C.F.R. § 5.3 (2026) § 5.3   Prosecution of application under secrecy orders; withholding patent.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T37_P5_S5_3.md)
- [37 C.F.R. § 5.4 (2026) § 5.4   Petition for rescission of secrecy order.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T37_P5_S5_4.md)
- [37 C.F.R. § 5.5 (2026) § 5.5   Permit to disclose or modification of secrecy order.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T37_P5_S5_5.md)
- [37 C.F.R. § 5.11 (2026) § 5.11   License for filing in, or exporting to, a foreign country an application on an invention made in the United States or technical data relating thereto.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T37_P5_S5_11.md)
- [37 C.F.R. § 5.12 (2026) § 5.12   Petition for license.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T37_P5_S5_12.md)
- [37 C.F.R. § 5.13 (2026) § 5.13   Petition for license; no corresponding application.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T37_P5_S5_13.md)
- [37 C.F.R. § 5.14 (2026) § 5.14   Petition for license; corresponding U.S. application.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T37_P5_S5_14.md)
- [37 C.F.R. § 5.15 (2026) § 5.15   Scope of license.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T37_P5_S5_15.md)
- [37 C.F.R. § 5.18 (2026) § 5.18   Arms, ammunition, and implements of war.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T37_P5_S5_18.md)
- [37 C.F.R. § 5.19 (2026) § 5.19   Export of technical data.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T37_P5_S5_19.md)
- [37 C.F.R. § 5.20 (2026) § 5.20   Export of technical data relating to sensitive nuclear technology.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T37_P5_S5_20.md)
- [37 C.F.R. § 5.25 (2026) § 5.25   Petition for retroactive license.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T37_P5_S5_25.md)

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T37_P5_S5_2. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.