United States Patent and Trademark Office OG Notices: 20 May 2003
Patent Customers Advised to
FAX Communications to USPTO
Facsimile transmissions of communications to the Office can
significantly expedite processing of the communication within the
Office. For example, when an assignment document is faxed to the
Office, the average cycle time to process, record, and send a notice of
recordation is one calendar day, whereas when the document is mailed to
the Office, the average cycle time is 113 calendar days. See Status of
Office of Public Records Services, 1269 Off. Gaz. Pat. Office 19,20
(April 1, 2003).
With many of the facsimile numbers provided below (i.e.,
those numbers below with 746 or 872 after the area code in the
facsimile number), a return receipt will be automatically generated
that will include the number of pages received as well as the date and
time the facsimile was received. Additionally, the return receipt will
include an image of the received cover page. The return receipt will be
automatically sent to the sender's facsimile machine so long as the
sender's facsimile number is properly programmed in the sending
facsimile machine, and the sender's facsimile machine is available to
receive a fax immediately following the original transmission. (Note
that with area code changes, or with movement of a facsimile machine
from one number to another, the facsimile machine's number may need to
be reprogrammed.) Even if a return receipt is not desired, at least the
first page of the facsimile transmission must clearly indicate the date
and time the transmission is sent, an identification of the business,
other entity, or individual sending the transmission, and the telephone
number of the sending machine or of such business, other entity, or
individual. See 47 U.S.C. 227(d)(1)(B) and 47 CFR
68.318(d). A return receipt will be attempted to be sent several times,
but if a busy signal is repeatedly received, a return receipt will not
be received by the sender. Applicants are advised to use the
certificate of facsimile transmission procedures when submitting a
reply to an Office action by facsimile (see 37 CFR 1.6 and 1.8).
Applicants are also advised to retain the return receipt in the event
that the Office has no record of the facsimile submission.
PTO Form 2038 should be used when authorizing payment by
credit card; this form is maintained separate from the file to ensure
confidentiality. Note that current processing of assignment documents
does not permit use of a credit card. Form PTO-2038 may be downloaded
at http://www.uspto.gov/web/forms/2038.pdf from the USPTO
website.
Examples of Correspondence that Patent Correspondence that
MAY be faxed to the USPTO may NOT be faxed to the
(37 CFR 1.6) USPTO (37 CFR 1.6)
Amendments Correspondence relating to
registration to practice before
the USPTO in patent cases,
enrollment or disciplinary matters
Petitions for an extension of time Documents required by statute to be
certified (37 CFR 1.4(f))
Authorization to charge a deposit Patent applications other than
account Continued Prosecution Applications
(CPAs). International applications
for patents may also not be faxed.
Information disclosure statements Correspondence in an
(IDS) interference that an
examiner-in-chief orders
to be filed by hand or
"Express Mail," the
filing of agreements
between parties to an
interference, and other
papers in an interference
(see, e.g., 37 CFR 1.6(d)(9))
Terminal disclaimers A copy of an international
application and the basic national
fee necessary to enter the national
stage, as specified in
37 CFR 1.495(b)
Notices of Appeal Drawings submitted under
and Appeal briefs 37 CFR 1.81, 1.82 - 1.85,
except when included with
an Issue Fee transmittal
and faxed to (703) 746-4000
Continued prosecution A request for reexamination
applications (CPAs) under 37 CFR 1.510 or 1.913
under 37 CFR 1.53(d)
Requests for continued examination Correspondence required to be
(RCEs) under 37 CFR 1.114 filed in a patent application
subject to a Secrecy Order and
directly related to the secrecy
order content of the application
Note: Other items may be submitted by fax to the USPTO as set forth below.
Faxes to the Office of Initial Patent Examination
Responses to notices from the Office of Initial Patent
Examination (OIPE) and requests for corrected filing receipts may be
filed by facsimile. New applications (other than continued prosecution
applications (CPAs) under 37 CFR 1.53(d)) may not be filed
by facsimile. The following is a list of Official Facsimile Numbers for
the OIPE:
Fax number for corrected Filing Receipt Requests: 703-746-9195
Fax number for Response to Notice to File
Missing Parts (drawings may not
be submitted by fax): 703-746-4060
Telephone number for Customer Service: 703-308-1202
Faxes to the Technology Centers
In addition, communications may be faxed to the Technology
Centers. The following is a list of Official Facsimile Numbers for the
Technology Centers:
TC1600: TC2800:
Before Final: 703-872-9306 Before Final: 703-872-9318
After Final: 703-872-9307 After Final: 703-872-9319
Customer Service: 703-872-9305 Customer Service: 703-872-9317
Telephone number for customer Telephone number for customer
service: (703) 308-0198 service: (703)306-3329
TC1700: TC2900:
Before Final: 703-872-9310 Before Final: 703-872-9322
After Final: 703-872-9311 After Final: 703-872-9323
Customer Service: 703-872-9309 Customer Service: 703-872-9321
Telephone number for customer Telephone number for customer
service: (703)306-5665 service: (703)306-5648
TC2100: TC3600:
Before Final: 703-746-7239 Before Final: 703-872-9326
After Final: 703-746-7238 After Final: 703-872-9327
Customer Service: 703-746-7240 Customer Service: 703-872-9325
Telephone number for customer Telephone number for customer
service: (703)306-5631 service: (703)306-5771
TC2600: TC3700:
Before Final: 703-872-9314 Before Final: 703-872-9302
After Final: 703-872-9315 After Final: 703-872-9303
Customer Service: 703-872-9313 Customer Service: 703-872-9301
Telephone number for customer Telephone number for customer
service: (703)306-0377 service: (703)306-5648
Faxes to the Office of Patent Publication
Patent applicants are also reminded that 37 CFR 1.6(d) permits
payment of an issue fee and a publication fee (if required) by
facsimile transmission. When drawings are submitted with payment of an
issue fee, they may be submitted by facsimile, although applicants are
reminded that the facsimile process may reduce the quality of the
drawings, and the Office will generally print the drawings received.
The applicable telephone numbers for payment of the issue
and/or publication fee(s) by facsimile transmission are as follows:
Fax number for Issue Fee
(and any Publication Fee) Payments: (703) 746-4000
Telephone number to check on receipt
of payment (with Office of Patent
Publication): (703) 305-8283
The Office of Patent Publication also handles many matters
related to publication of patent applications. For example, express
abandonments under 37 CFR 1.138(c) are handled by the Pre-Grant
Publication Division of the Office of Patent Publication. In addition,
requests to rescind a nonpublication request and notices of foreign
filing should be directed to the Pre-Grant Publication Divison.
Questions regarding publication of patent applications (or rescissions
of nonpublication requests) may also be directed by e-mail to
pgpub@uspto.gov.
Fax number for PGPUB correspondence: (703) 305-8568
Telephone number for the Pre-Grant
Publication Division: (703) 605-4283
Faxes of Assignment Documents
Facsimile transmission to record an assignment or other
documents affecting title is also accepted. This process allows
customers to submit their documents directly into the automated Patent
and Trademark Assignment System and receive the resulting recordation
notice at their fax machine. At this time, credit card payments to
record assignment documents are not accepted and only documents with an
identified patent application or patent number, a single cover sheet to
record a single type of transaction, and the fee paid by a USPTO
deposit account may be submitted via facsimile. Please refer to our Web
Site, at
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ido/opr/ptasfax.pdf for more
information regarding the submission of assignment documents via facsimile.
Fax number for Automated Patent
and Trademark Assignment system: 703-306-5995
Telephone number for Assignment
Division for assistance: 703-308-9723
Faxes to the Office of Petitions
Applicable correspondence may be submitted to the Office of
Petitions via facsimile. For questions concerning Petitions, contact
the Office of Petitions at the numbers below:
Fax number for the Office of Petitions: 703-308-6916
Telephone number for customer service
and inquiries: 703-305-9282