# 37 C.F.R. § 5.3 (2026): Prosecution of application under secrecy orders; withholding patent > Federal · Regulations · In force URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T37_P5_S5_3 ## Section - **Citation:** 37 C.F.R. § 5.3 (2026) - **Heading:** Prosecution of application under secrecy orders; withholding patent - **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 / § 5.3: § 5.3 Prosecution of application under secrecy orders › withholding patent. ## Text Unless specifically ordered otherwise, action on the application by the Office and prosecution by the applicant will proceed during the time an application is under secrecy order to the point indicated in this section: (a) National applications under secrecy order which come to a final rejection must be appealed or otherwise prosecuted to avoid abandonment. Appeals in such cases must be completed by the applicant but unless otherwise specifically ordered by the Commissioner for Patents will not be set for hearing until the secrecy order is removed. (b) An interference or derivation will not be instituted involving a national application under secrecy order. An applicant whose application is under secrecy order may suggest an interference (§ 41.202(a) of this title), but the Office will not act on the request while the application remains under a secrecy order. (c) When the national application is found to be in condition for allowance except for the secrecy order the applicant and the agency which caused the secrecy order to be issued will be notified. This notice (which is not a notice of allowance under § 1.311 of this chapter) does not require reply by the applicant and places the national application in a condition of suspension until the secrecy order is removed. When the secrecy order is removed the Patent and Trademark Office will issue a notice of allowance under § 1.311 of this chapter, or take such other action as may then be warranted. his notice (which is not a notice of allowance under § 1.311 of this chapter) does not require reply by the applicant and places the national application in a condition of suspension until the secrecy order is removed. When the secrecy order is removed the Patent and Trademark Office will issue a notice of allowance under § 1.311 of this chapter, or take such other action as may then be warranted. (d) International applications and international design applications under secrecy order will not be mailed, delivered, or otherwise transmitted to the international authorities or the applicant. International applications under secrecy order will be processed up to the point where, if it were not for the secrecy order, record and search copies would be transmitted to the international authorities or the applicant. (Pub. L. 94-131, 89 Stat. 685) [43 FR 20470, May 11, 1978, as amended at 53 FR 23736, June 23, 1988; 62 FR 53203, Oct. 10, 1997; 69 FR 50002, Aug. 12, 2004; 77 FR 46629, Aug. 6, 2012; 80 FR 17969, Apr. 2, 2015] ## 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) --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T37_P5_S5_3. 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