DISCLAIMER
disclaimer,n.1. A renunciation of one’s legal right or claim; esp., a renunciation of a patent
claim, usu. to save the remainder of the application from being rejected. 2. A repudiation of
another’s legal right or claim. 3. A writing that contains such a renunciation or repudiation.
4.RENUNCIATION (2). — disclaim,vb.
disclaimer of warranty.An oral or written statement intended to limit a seller’s liability for
defects in the goods sold. • In some circumstances, printed words must be specific and
conspicuous to be effective. [Cases: Sales 267. C.J.S. Sales §§ 238, 263–270.]
patent disclaimer.See statutory disclaimer.
qualified disclaimer. 1. A disclaimer with a restriction or condition attached. • In this sense it
is qualified because it carries the restriction or condition. 2. A person’s refusal to accept an interest
in property so that he or she can avoid having to pay estate or gift taxes. • To be effective under
federal tax law, the refusal must be in writing and must be executed no later than nine months
from the time when the interest was created. In this sense, it is qualified in the sense of being
within the lawful exemption. IRC (26 USCA) § 2518. [Cases: Internal Revenue 4177.20,
4205.10; Taxation 866. C.J.S. Internal Revenue § 500; Taxation §§ 1791, 1797–1799, 1824,
1859–1865.]
statutory disclaimer.Patents. A patent applicant’s amendment of a specification to relinquish
one or more claims to the invention. 35 USCA § 253. • Before the statute was enacted, a single
invalid claim was grounds for denying a patent. — Also termed patent disclaimer. See
SPECIFICATION(3). [Cases: Patents 149, 154. C.J.S. Patents §§ 261–263.]
terminal disclaimer.Patents. A patent applicant’s statement shortening the term of the patent. •
To revive an abandoned application for a design application or for a utility or plant application
filed before June 8, 1995, the applicant must disclaim a period equal to the duration of
abandonment. A terminal disclaimer may also be required in an application for an obvious
variation on an existing patent: to avoid a double-patenting rejection, the inventor agrees that both
patents will expire on the same day. [Cases: Patents 131. C.J.S. Patents § 236.] [Blacks Law 8th]