35 USC § 262 - Joint owners

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t35/s262"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "35 USC § 262 - Joint owners"
title_number: 35
title_name: "PATENTS"
section_number: "262"
section_name: "Joint owners"
chapter_number: 26
chapter_name: "OWNERSHIP AND ASSIGNMENT"
part_number: "III"
part_name: "PATENTS AND PROTECTION OF PATENT RIGHTS"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2025-12-12"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(July 19, 1952, ch. 950, 66 Stat. 810; Pub. L. 103–465, title V, § 533(b)(3), Dec. 8, 1994, 108 Stat. 4989.)"
---


# § 262. Joint owners

In the absence of any agreement to the contrary, each of the joint owners of a patent may make, use, offer to sell, or sell the patented invention within the United States, or import the patented invention into the United States, without the consent of and without accounting to the other owners.

---

**Source Credit**: (July 19, 1952, ch. 950, 66 Stat. 810; Pub. L. 103–465, title V, § 533(b)(3), Dec. 8, 1994, 108 Stat. 4989.)

### Historical and Revision Notes

This section states a condition in existing law not expressed in the existing statutes.

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1994— substituted “use, offer to sell, or sell” for “use or sell” and inserted “within the United States, or import the patented invention into the United States,” after “invention”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1994 Amendment

Amendment by  effective on date that is one year after date on which the WTO Agreement enters into force with respect to the United States [], with provisions relating to earliest filed patent application, see section 534(a), (b)(3) of , set out as a note under .