SPECIAL BOXES FOR PATENT MAIL
Special box designations should be used to allow forwarding of
particular types of mail to the appropriate areas as quickly as possible.
Such mail is forwarded to the appropriate area without being opened. Only
the specified type of document should be placed in an envelope addressed
to one of these special boxes. If any documents other than the specified
type identified for each special box are addressed to that box, they will
be significantly delayed in reaching the appropriate area for which they
are intended.
Some correspondence may only be submitted via the Office's electronic
filing system (EFS). For example, the following publication requests must
be submitted via EFS:
a request for publication of an application as amended during
examination (37 CFR 1.215(c));
a request for redacted publication (37 CFR 1.217(b));
a request for voluntary publication of an application filed before
November 29, 2000 (37 CFR 1.22(a)); or
a request for republication of an application that has already been
published (37 CFR 1.22(a)).
Instructions on how to file such an application request via EFS are
located on the Office's Electronic Business Center on the Office's Internet
Web site http://www.uspto.gov <http://www.uspto.gov>) under the Electronic
Business Center section.
Please address mail as follows:
Box
Commissioner for Patents
Washington, D.C. 20231
Box Designations Explanation
Box REISSUE All new and continuing reissue application filings.
Box 12 Contributions to the Examiner Education Program.
Box 313(b) Petitions under 37 CFR 1.313(c) to withdraw a patent
application from issue after payment of the issue
fee and any papers associated with the petition,
including papers necessary for a continuing
application or a request for continued examination
(RCE).
Box AF Expedited procedure for processing amendments and
other responses after final rejection.
Box Comments Public comments regarding patent related regulations
Patents and procedures.
Box CPA Requests for Continued Prosecution Applications
(CPA's) under 37 CFR 1.53(d).
Box DAC Petitions decided by the Office of Petitions
including petitions to revive and
petitions to accept late payment of issue fees
or maintenance fees.
Box DD Disclosure Documents or materials related to the
Disclosure Document Program.
Box Design The filing of all design patent applications which
do not request expedited examination under
37 CFR 1.55.
Box Expedited Only to be used for the initial filing of design
Design applications accompanied by a request for expedited
examination under 37 CFR 1.155. (Design applicants
seeking expedited examination may alternatively
file a design application and corresponding request
under 37 CFR 1.155 by hand-delivering the
application papers and request directly to the
Design Group Director's office.)
Box Issue Fee All communications following the receipt of a
PTOL-85, "Notice of Allowance and Issue Fee Due,"
and prior to the issuance of a patent should be
addressed to Box Issue Fee, unless advised to the
contrary. Assignments are the exception.
Assignments should be submitted in a
separate envelope and not be sent to Box Issue Fee.
Box Missing Parts Response to the Notice to File Missing Parts of
Application and associated papers and fees.
Box MPEP Submissions concerning the Manual of Patent
Examining Procedures.
Box Non-Fee Non-fee amendments to patent applications.
Amendment (Use Box AF for responses after final rejection.)
Box PATENT New patent applications and associated papers and
APPLICATION fees.
Box Patent Ext. Applications for patent term extension and any
communications relating thereto.
Box PGPUB Correspondence regarding publication of patent
applications not otherise provided.
Box PGPUB - ABD Petitions under 37 CFR 1.138 to expressly abandon an
application to avoid publication of the application.
Box PGPUB Drawings to be included in a patent application
DRAWINGS publication (replacement drawings for drawings
included with a patent application on filing).
Box PCT Mail related to applications filed under the
Patent Cooperation Treaty.
Box Provisional The filing of all provisional patent applications
Patent Application and any communications relating thereto.
Box RCE Requests for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114.
Box Reconstruction Correspondence pertaining to the reconstruction
of lost patent files.
Box Reexam Requests for Reexamination for original request
papers only.
Box Sequence Submission of diskette for biotechnical
application.
Box SN For fee and petitions under 37 CFR 1.182 to
obtain date received and/or serial number for patent
applications prior to the Office's standard
notification (return post card or the official
"Filing Receipt," "Notice to File Missing Parts,"
or "Notice of Incomplete Application").
SPECIAL BOXES FOR TRADEMARK MAIL
Special box designations should be used to allow forwarding of
particular types of trademark mail to the appropriate areas as quickly as
possible. In addition to these box designations, filers are encouraged to
indicate whether the contents of the envelope contain a fee. Envelopes
containing a fee should be marked "FEE;" envelopes not containing a fee
should be marked "NO FEE." Box designations and "FEE/NO FEE" indicators
should appear on the envelope as well as on the cover sheet or first page
of any document.
Please address mail as follows:
Box
FEE (or NO FEE)
Commissioner for Trademarks
2900 Crystal Drive
Arlington, Virginia 22202-3513
Box Designations Explanation
Box NEW APP FEE New trademark applications and fees.
Box ITU FEE Statements of Use (SOUs), and extension requests.
Box TTAB FEE Oppositions, cancellation petitions, and ex parte
appeals.
Box TTAB NO FEE Interferences, motions, and extension requests.
Box STATUS NO FEE Written status inquiries.
Box POST REG FEE Affidavits, renewals, corrections and amendments.
Box RESPONSES Responses to Examining Attorneys' Office actions and
NO FEE Post Registration actions.
SPECIAL BOXES APPLICABLE TO
BOTH PATENT AND TRADEMARK MAIL
The following special box designations are applicable to both patent
and trademark related mail, and the recommendations for "Special Boxes
for Patent Mail" (above) should be followed for the types of mail listed
below.
Please address mail as follows:
Box
Director - U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Washington, D.C. 20231
Box Designations Explanation
Box 3 Mail for the Office of Personnel from NFC.
Box 4 Mail for the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce
and Deputy Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks;
Office of Legislative and International Affairs.
Box 6 Mail for the Office of Procurement.
Box 8 All papers for the Office of the Solicitor except
communications relating to pending litigation and
disciplinary proceedings; papers relating to pending
litigation in court cases shall be mailed only to
Office of the Solicitor, P.O. Box 15667, Arlington,
Virginia 22215 and papers related to pending
disciplinary proceedings before the Administrative
Law Judge or the Commissioner shall be mailed only to
the Office of the Solicitor, P.O. Box 16116,
Arlington, Virginia 22215.
Box 9 Coupon orders for U.S. patent and trademark copies.
Box 10 Orders for certified copies of PTO documents.
Box 11 Electronic Ordering Service (EOS).
Box 13 Mail for the Employee and Labor Relations Division.
Box 14 Mail directed to the APS Contracts Office.
Box 16 Deposit Account Replenishment Checks.
Box 17 Invoices directed to the Office of Finance.
Box 24 Mail for the Office of Independent Inventor Programs.
Box 171 Vacancy Announcement Applications.
Box Assignment All assignment documents except those filed with new
applications.
Box EEO Mail for the Office of Civil Rights.
Box Interference Communications relating to interferences
and applications and patents involved in interference.
Box M Fee Correspondence regarding patent maintenance fees and
related matter.
Box OED Mail for the Office of Enrollment and Discipline.