37 CFR § 1.499 - Unity of invention during the national stage.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t37/s1.499"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "37 CFR § 1.499 - Unity of invention during the national stage."
title_number: 37
title_name: "Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights"
section_number: "1.499"
section_name: "Unity of invention during the national stage."
chapter_name: "UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE"
subchapter_number: "A"
subchapter_name: "GENERAL"
part_number: "1"
part_name: "RULES OF PRACTICE IN PATENT CASES"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-04-05"
last_updated: "2026-04-05"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "35 U.S.C. 2(b)(2), unless otherwise noted."
regulatory_source: "24 FR 10332, Dec. 22, 1959, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "1"
---


# 1.499 Unity of invention during the national stage.

If the examiner finds that a national stage application lacks unity of invention under § 1.475, the examiner may in an Office action require the applicant in the response to that action to elect the invention to which the claims shall be restricted. Such requirement may be made before any action on the merits but may be made at any time before the final action at the discretion of the examiner. Review of any such requirement is provided under §§ 1.143 and 1.144.

[58 FR 4347, Jan. 14, 1993]