35 U.S.C. 122(e) and 37 CFR 1.290 provide a mechanism for third parties to submit patents, published patent applications, or other printed publications of potential relevance to the examination of a patent application with a concise description of the asserted relevance of each document submitted.
Such submissions may be made (1) before the later of (i) the date that is 6 months after the date of publication or (ii) the date of a first Office action on the merits rejecting any claims, or (2) before the date of a notice of allowance, if earlier.
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How to File Third-Party Preissuance Submissions
Filing electronically
- Patent Center
- Patent Center User Guide [PDF]
- Patent Center Third Party Submissions Quick Start Guide [PDF]
Filing by paper