Change of Owner (Assignment) and Change of Owner Name
During examination of a patent application or after the patent is granted, the owner of the patent may:
- Transfer ownership to another entity or party through an "assignment;" or
- Retain ownership but change their name.
The original owner should record the assignment or name change with the USPTO's Assignment Recordation Branch by going to Assignment Center and filing a Recordation Cover Sheet along with a copy of the actual assignment or proof of name change.
Change Ownership - Assignment Center
Use Assignment Center to file a Patent Assignment Recordation Cover Sheet and attach the supporting legal documentation as a black-and-white TIFF or PDF file. You may email questions about filing patent assignments to AssignmentCenter@uspto.gov.
Patent Assignment Search
Use Patent Assignment Search to search the database of all recorded Patent Assignment information from 1980 to the present (Patent Assignments recorded prior to 1980 are maintained at the National Archives and Records Administration). You may email questions about searching patent assignments to AssignmentSearch@uspto.gov.
For further information, you may contact the Assignment Recordation Branch Customer Service Desk at 571-272-3350 from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm Eastern Time.