Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 66.djvu/839

 66

STAT.]

PUBLIC

I^AW 5 9 3 - J U L Y

19, 1952

Secretary of Commerce, upon the nomination of the Commissioner in accordance with law, shall appoint all other officers and employees. The Secretary of Commerce may vest in himself the functions of the Patent Office and its officers and employees specified in this title and may from time to time authorize their performance by any other officer or employee. § 4. Restrictions on officers and employees as to interest in patents Officers and employees of the Patent Office shall be incapable, during the period of their appointments and for one year thereafter, of applying for a patent and of acquiring, directly or indirectly, except by inheritance or bequest, any patent or any right or interest in any patent, issued or to be issued by the Office. In patents applied for thereafter they shall not be entitled to any priority date earlier than one year after the termination of their appointment. § 5. Bond of Commissioner and other officers The Commissioner and such other officers as he designates, before entering upon their duties, shall severally give bond, with sureties, the former in the sum of $10,000, and the latter in sums prescribed by the Commissioner, conditioned for the faithful discharge of their respective duties and that they shall render to the proper officers of the Treasury a true account of all money received by virtue of their offices. § 6. Duties of Commissioner The Commissioner, under the direction of the Secretary of Commerce, shall superintend or perform all duties required by law respecting the granting and issuing of patents and the registration of trademarks; and he shall have charge of property belonging to the Patent Office. He may, subject to the approval of the Secretary of Commerce, establish regulations, not inconsistent with law, for the conduct of proceedings in the Patent Office. § 7. Board of Appeals The examiners-in-chief shall be persons of competent legal knowledge and scientific ability. The Commissioner, the assistant commissioners, and the examiners-in-chief shall constitute a Board of Appeals, which, on written appeal of the applicant, shall review adverse decisions of examiners upon applications for patents. Each appeal shall be heard by at least three members of the Board of Appeals^ the members hearing such appeal to be designated by the Commissioner. The Board of Appeals has sole power to grant rehearings. Whenever the Commissioner considers it necessary to maintain the work of the Board of Appeals current, he may designate any patent examiner of the primary examiner grade or higher, having the requisite ability, to serve as examiner-in-chief for periods not exceeding six months each. An examiner so designated shall be qualified to act as a member of the Board of Appeals. Not more than one such primary examiner shall be a member of the Board of Appeals hearing an appeal. § 8. Library The Commissioner shall maintain a library of scientific and other works and periodicals, both foreign and domestic, in the Patent Office to aid the officers in the discharge of their duties.

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