374 GENERAL TOPICS. 



On the filing of such application and the payment of the 

 fees required by law, the Commissioner of Patents shall 

 cause an examination to be made, and if, on such examina- 

 tion, it appears that the claimant is justly entitled to a 

 patent under the law, and that the same is sufficiently use- 

 ful and important, the Commissioner shall issue a patent 

 therefor. 



Assign?fietits. — Every patent or any interest therein shall 

 be assignable in law by an instrument in writing, and the 

 patentee or his assigns or legal representatives may in like 

 manner grant and convey an exclusive right under his 

 patent to the whole or any specified part of the United 

 States. 



Caveats. — A caveat, under the patent law, is a notice 

 given to the office of the caveator's claim as inventor, in 

 order to prevent the grant of a patent to another for the 

 same alleged invention upon an application filed during 

 the life of the caveat without notice to the caveator. 



Any citizen of the United States who has made a new 

 invention or discovery, and desires more time to mature 

 the same, may, on payment of a fee of ten dollars, file in 

 the Patent Office a caveat setting forth the object and the 

 distinguishing characteristics of the invention, and praying 

 protection of his right until he shall have matured his 

 invention. Such caveats shall be filed in the confidential 

 archives of the office and preserved in secrecy, and shall be 

 operative for the term of one year from the filing thereof. 



An alien shall have the privilege herein granted if he 

 has resided in the United States one year next preceding 

 the filing of his caveat, and has made oath of his intention 

 to become a citizen. 



Fees. — The following are the rates for patent fees, and 

 these are payable in advance: 



On filing each original application for a patent (except in 

 design cases), S15. 



On issuing each original patent (except in design cases), 

 $20. 



In design cases: For three years and six months, $10; 

 for seven years, $15; for fourteen years, $30. 



