Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendments to Senate bill.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 36 · Passed House amended · Dec 6, 2006
Title I: Vessel Hull Design Protection - Vessel Hull Design Protection Amendments of 2006 - (Sec. 102) Amends federal copyright law to specify that the design of both the vessel hull and deck are protected (currently, only the design of the vessel hull is protected and the definition of hull includes the deck).
(Sec. 103) Defines "deck" as the horizontal surface of the vessel that covers the hull, including exterior cabin and cockpit surfaces, and exclusive of masts, sails, yards, rigging, hardware, fixtures, and other attachments.
Title II: Intellectual Property Provisions - (Sec. 201) Reaffirms Congress' commitment to the policies and objectives of the Bayh-Dole Act on the 25th anniversary of its enactment.
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(Sec. 202) Allows the Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to accept an application for an extension of the term of a patent which claims a product, a method of using a product, or a method of manufacturing a product if: (1) such application is filed no more than five days late; and (2) the applicant files a petition showing that the delay in filing the application was unintentional. Deems such petition to be denied if no determination has been made on the petition within 30 days of filing. Establishes the fee for filing such a petition.
Applies this section to any application for patent term extension which: (1) is pending on the date of enactment; (2) is the subject of a request for reconsideration of a denial of a patent term extension; or (3) has been denied a patent term extension in a case in which the period for seeking reconsideration of such denial has not yet expired.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Aug 10, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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