35 USC § 26 - Effect of defective execution

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t35/s26"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "35 USC § 26 - Effect of defective execution"
title_number: 35
title_name: "PATENTS"
section_number: "26"
section_name: "Effect of defective execution"
chapter_number: 2
chapter_name: "PROCEEDINGS IN THE PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE"
part_number: "I"
part_name: "UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2025-12-12"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 88–292, § 1, Mar. 26, 1964, 78 Stat. 171; amended Pub. L. 93–596, § 1, Jan. 2, 1975, 88 Stat. 1949; Pub. L. 106–113, div. B, § 1000(a)(9) [title IV, § 4732(a)(10)(A)], Nov. 29, 1999, 113 Stat. 1536, 1501A–582; Pub. L. 107–273, div. C, title III, § 13206(b)(1)(B), Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1906.)"
---


# § 26. Effect of defective execution

Any document to be filed in the Patent and Trademark Office and which is required by any law, rule, or other regulation to be executed in a specified manner may be provisionally accepted by the Director despite a defective execution, provided a properly executed document is submitted within such time as may be prescribed.

---

**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 88–292, § 1, Mar. 26, 1964, 78 Stat. 171; amended Pub. L. 93–596, § 1, Jan. 2, 1975, 88 Stat. 1949; Pub. L. 106–113, div. B, § 1000(a)(9) [title IV, § 4732(a)(10)(A)], Nov. 29, 1999, 113 Stat. 1536, 1501A–582; Pub. L. 107–273, div. C, title III, § 13206(b)(1)(B), Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1906.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2002— made technical correction to directory language of . See 1999 Amendment note below.

1999—, as amended by , substituted “Director” for “Commissioner”.

1975— substituted “Patent and Trademark Office” for “Patent Office”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1999 Amendment

Amendment by  effective 4 months after , see section 1000(a)(9) [title IV, § 4731] of , set out as a note under .

### Effective Date of 1975 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , see , set out as a note under , Commerce and Trade.