Patent and Trademark Office Authorization Act of 1993
Public Law 103-179 · H.R. 2632 · 103rd Congress · began in the House
Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Dec 3, 1993 · Commerce
Sponsor: Rep. William Hughes (D-NJ-2)
Cosponsors (1): Rep. Carlos Moorhead
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Patent and Trademark Office Authorization Act of 1993 - Authorizes appropriations to the Patent and Trademark Office for FY 1994.
Sets the trademark fee at $245 and prohibits any adjustments to such fee before October 1, 1994.
Amends the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984 to authorize the owner of record of the patent or its agent to submit an application to the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks for an interim extension of such patent if the owner or agent expects that the regulatory review period that began for the product involved may extend beyond such expiration.
Directs the Commissioner to issue to the applicant a certificate of interim extension for a maximum one-year period, subject to specified conditions.
Limits an applicant to four subsequent interim extensions and to one extension in some cases. Requires applications for such extensions to be made during the period beginning 60 days before, and ending 30 days before, the expiration of the preceding interim extension.
Terminates such interim extension at the end of the 60-day period beginning on the date on which the product involved receives permission for commercial marketing or use, unless within such period, the applicant notifies the Commissioner of such permission and submits any additional information not previously contained in the interim extension application. Extends such patent for at least five years from the date of the expiration of the original patent term or, in certain circumstances, from the date on which the product involved receives approval for commercial marketing or use.
Limits the rights derived from the extended patents during the period of interim extension in the case of a patent which claims a: (1) product, to any use then under regulatory review; (2) method of using a product, to any use claimed by the patent then under regulatory review; and (3) method of manufacturing a product, to the method of manufacturing as used to make the product then under regulatory review.
Extends the terms of certain patents for the badges of the American Legion, the American Legion Women's Auxiliary, and the Sons of the American Legion.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Judiciary Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 21 actions.
- Dec 3, 1993Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 103-179.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Nov 23, 1993PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Nov 20, 1993Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendments to the Senate amendment by Voice Vote.
- Nov 19, 1993Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House agree with amendments to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Brooks asked unanimous consent that the House agree with amendments to the Senate amendment.
- FloorFloor · The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
- Nov 11, 1993FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Amendment SP 1161 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.
- Oct 12, 1993FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Brooks moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Judiciary Committee
- Oct 6, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Judiciary Committee
- Aug 5, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- Jul 28, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- Jul 19, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- Jul 14, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.