37 CFR § 102.32 - Penalties.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t37/s102.32"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "37 CFR § 102.32 - Penalties."
title_number: 37
title_name: "Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights"
section_number: "102.32"
section_name: "Penalties."
chapter_name: "UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE"
subchapter_number: "B"
subchapter_name: "ADMINISTRATION"
part_number: "102"
part_name: "DISCLOSURE OF GOVERNMENT INFORMATION"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-04-05"
last_updated: "2026-04-05"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "5 U.S.C. 552; 5 U.S.C. 552a; 5 U.S.C. 553; 31 U.S.C. 3717; 35 U.S.C. 2(b)(2), 21, 41, 42, 122; 44 U.S.C. 3101."
regulatory_source: "65 FR 52917, Aug. 31, 2000, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "102"
---


# 102.32 Penalties.

(a) The Act provides, in pertinent part:

Any person who knowingly and willfully requests or obtains any record concerning an individual from an agency under false pretenses shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not more than $5,000. (5 U.S.C. 552a(i)(3)).

(b) A person who falsely or fraudulently attempts to obtain records under the Act also may be subject to prosecution under such other criminal statutes as 18 U.S.C. 494, 495 and 1001.