United States Patent and Trademark Office OG Notices: 29 March 2005
Updated Notice of Centralized Delivery and
Facsimile Transmission Policy for
Patent Related Correspondence,
and Exceptions Thereto
On December 1, 2003, the United States Patent and Trademark
Office (Office) established a "centralized delivery" policy for
patent related correspondence to enable the Office to promptly scan the
correspondence into the Office's image file wrapper (IFW) system. The
"centralized delivery" policy requires most patent related
correspondence to be: a) faxed to the central facsimile number ((703)
872-9306), b) hand carried or delivered to the Customer Service Window
(now located at the Randolph Building, 401 Dulany Street, Alexandria,
VA 22314), or c) mailed to the mailing address set forth in 37 CFR 1.1
(e.g., P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450).i
The "centralized delivery" policy was revised in three
follow-up notices.ii In order to provide further updated
information, and to provide a single comprehensive statement of the
Office's current "centralized delivery" policy, this notice is
issued. This notice replaces all prior Office notices specifying a
specific fax number or hand carry address for certain patent related
correspondence.
General "Centralized Delivery" Policy: For patent related correspondence,
hand carry deliveries must be made to the Customer Service Window, and
facsimile transmissions must be sent to the central facsimile number
((703) 872-9306), unless an exception, as noted below, applies. Exceptions
to the general policy of "centralized delivery" generally involve
situations where special handling of the patent related correspondence is
available. All the current exceptions are listed in this notice.
Correspondence which is not related to a specific patent or patent
application, such as a question on policy, on employment, or other
general inquiry, is not covered by this notice.
Below are two lists which set forth all the current exceptions
to the "centralized delivery" policy. The first list covers the
exceptions for certain hand carried items, and the second list covers
the exceptions for certain facsimile transmitted items. Both lists
reflect the relocation of most USPTO operations to the Alexandria,
Virginia campus.
List I - Exceptions for Certain
Hand Carried Correspondence
Current exceptions: Only the following types of correspondence may be
delivered (hand-carried) to the specific location provided below instead
of the Customer Service Window. If correspondence listed below is carried
to the Customer Service Window, the correspondence will be accepted and
routed to the appropriate office.
1. Access Requests: Requests for access to patent application files may
continue to be hand carried to the File Information Unit (FIU) in Room
2E04, 2900 Crystal Drive (South Tower), Arlington VA 22202. Requests for
access to patent application files that are maintained in the Image File
Wrapper system and that have not yet been published may also be hand
carried to the Public Search Facility on the 1st floor of the Madison East
Building, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria VA 22314.
2. Patent Term Extensions under 35 U.S.C. Sec. 156: Patent term extension
applications under 35 U.S.C. 156 (Hatch/Waxman) may be hand-carried to the
Office of Patent Legal Administration (OPLA) in Room 07D85, 600 Dulany
Street (Madison West Building), Alexandria VA 22314. At the guard station
in Madison West (near the elevators), the security guard should call the
OPLA at either (571) 272-7744 or (571) 272-7746 for delivery assistance.
3. Assignments to be Recorded: Assignments may be hand-carried to the
Office of Public Records Customer Service Window on the 2nd floor of the
South Tower Building, 2900 Crystal Drive, Arlington VA 22202.
4. Office of General Counsel: Correspondence for the Office of General
Counsel may be hand-carried to the Office of General Counsel in Room 10C20,
600 Dulany Street (Madison East Building), Alexandria VA 22314. At the
guard station in Madison East (near the elevators), the security guard
should call the Office of General Counsel at 571-272-7000 for delivery
assistance.
5. Solicitor's Office: Correspondence for the Solicitor's Office may be
hand-carried to the Solicitor's Office in Room 8C43, 600 Dulany Street
(Madison West Building), Alexandria VA 22314. At the guard station in
Madison West (near the elevators), the security guard should call the
Solicitor's Office at 571-272-9035 for delivery assistance.
6. Interference related correspondence: Correspondence relating to
interferences may be hand-carried to the 1st floor lobby of Madison East
Building, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria VA 22314, where a drop-off box
for hand-carried documents to be filed with the Board of Patent Appeals
and Interferences is located. Customers need to pass through the
magnetometer and have the materials passed through the x-ray sensors
before placing them in the drop-off box. The drop-off box is for
Interference related correspondence ONLY. Boxes are not permitted in
the drop-off box. Boxed materials should be hand-carried to Madison
East, Room 9B55-A using the following procedures. At either guard
station (concourse level or 1st floor) in Madison East (near the
elevators), the security guard should call the Board of Patent Appeals
and Interferences at 571-272-9797 to obtain authorization to allow entry
into the building for delivery to Room 9B55-A. Access to Room 9B55-A is
available from 8:30 AM to 4:45 PM only.
Documents/boxes hand-carried to the drop-off box or to Room 9B55-A after
4:45 PM (EST) will receive the next day's filing date.
Customers desiring a stamped return receipt for their filing need to
personally bring their filing and postcard to Room 9B55-A during the hours
stated above, or leave the postcard with the filing (postcard must include
correct postage mail stamp and the address where the postcard it to be
mailed). The Board will stamp the filing date and mail the postcard to the
customer.
7. Secrecy Order: Applications subject to a secrecy order pursuant to 35
U.S.C. 181, or are national security classified, and correspondence related
thereto, may be hand-carried to the Licensing and Review location. See 37
CFR Secs. 5.1(c) and 5.2(c). Licensing and review is expected to relocate
to the Alexandria campus on April 1, 2005.
Effective April 1, 2005, the Licensing and Review location is:
Technology Center 3600, Room 4B31, 501 Dulany Street (Knox Building),
Alexandria VA 22314. At the guard station in Knox (near the elevators),
the security guard should call Licensing and Review at (571) 272-8203
for delivery assistance.
Prior to April 1, 2005, the Licensing and Review location is:
Technology Center 3600, Office of the Director, 2451 Crystal Drive
(Crystal Park 5 Building), Room 3D07 Arlington, VA 22202.
8. Explicit Foreign Filing License Petitions: Effective April 1, 2005,
petitions for foreign filing license pursuant to 37 CFR 5.12(b) for which
expedited handling is requested and petitions for retroactive license
under 37 CFR 5.25, may be hand-carried to Licensing and Review in Room
4B41, 501 Dulany Street (Knox Building), Alexandria VA 22314. At the guard
station in Knox (near the elevators), the security guard should call
Licensing and Review at (571) 272-8187 for delivery assistance.
9. Petitions to Withdraw from Issue: Petitions to Withdraw from Issue may
be hand carried to the Office of Petitions on the 7th floor of the Madison
West Building, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria VA 22314. At the guard station
in Madison West (near the elevators), the security guard should call the
Office of Petitions at (571) 272-3282 for delivery assistance. Hand carried
papers will be accepted between the hours of 8:30 a.m. until 3:45 p.m.
10. Documents requested by the Office of Patent Publication: Documents
requested by the Office of Patent Publication may be hand carried to the
Office of Patent Publication in Room 8A24, 2900 Crystal Drive (South Tower
Building), Arlington VA 22202, during business hours.
Elimination of certain previously authorized exceptions: Hand carry
delivery to a location other than the Customer Service Window is no longer
permitted for the following types of correspondence: (1) correspondence
relating to PCT international applications prior to national stage entry
(35 U.S.C. 371) [Note: as of January 14, 2005, there no longer is a
separate PCT Operations Customer Window]; (2) petitions for express
abandonment to avoid publication under 37 CFR 1.138(c); (3) requests to
initiate, or related to on-going, ex parte or inter partes reexamination
proceedings; (4) design patent applications with a corresponding request
for expedited examination under 37 CFR 1.155; and (5) correspondence for
the Office of Enrollment and Discipline (OED).
List II - Exceptions for Certain
Facsimile Transmitted Correspondence
For each Office location listed below, only the particular type of
correspondence indicated may be transmitted to the specific facsimile
number at that Office location. All other types of facsimile transmitted
correspondence must be sent to the central facsimile number
((703) 872-9306).
1. Office of Initial Patent Examination (OIPE)
Request for corrected Filing Receipt: (703) 746-9195 facsimile number
Response to Notice to File Missing Parts: (703) 746-4060 facsimile
number
Note: New applications, correspondence being submitted for the purpose of
obtaining an application filing date, and color drawings may NOT be
transmitted by facsimile. OIPE Customer Service telephone number: (703)
308-1202
2. PCT Operations and PCT Legal Administration
Correspondence subsequent to filing in an international application
before the U.S. Receiving Office, the U.S. International Searching
Authority, or the U.S. International Examining Authority:
Papers in international applications: (703) 305-3230 facsimile number
Response to Decisions on Petition: (571) 273-0459 facsimile number
Note: An international application for patent or a copy of the
international application and the basic national fee necessary to enter
the national stage, as specified in 37 CFR 1.495(b), may NOT be
submitted by facsimile. See 37 CFR 1.6(d)(3) (referencing 37 CFR
1.8(a)(2)(i)(D) and (F)). Subsequent correspondence may be transmitted
by facsimile in an application before the U.S. Receiving Office, the
U.S. International Searching Authority, or the U.S. International
Examining Authority, but it will NOT receive the benefit of any
certificate of transmission (or mailing). See 37 CFR 1.8(a)(2) (i)(E).
Correspondence during national stage, subsequent to entry, are handled
in the same manner as a U.S. national application.
The PCT Help Desk: (571) 273-0419 facsimile number
(703) 305-3257 telephone number
3. Office of Patent Publication
Payment of an issue fee and any required publication fee by
authorization to charge a deposit account or credit card, and drawings:
(703) 746-4000 facsimile number
Note: Although submission of drawings by facsimile may reduce the quality
of the drawings, the Office will generally print the drawings as received.
Office of Patent Publication telephone numbers to check on receipt of
payment: (703) 308-6789 or 1-888-786-0101
4. Office of Pre-Grant Publication
Petitions for express abandonment to avoid publication under 37
CFR 1.138(c), and Requests for express abandonment under 37 CFR 1.138:
(703) 305-8568 facsimile number
Pre-Grant Publication Division telephone number for questions
relating to the publication of patent applications: (703) 605-4283.
Questions may also be directed by e-mail to pgpub@uspto.gov.
5. Electronic Business Center (EBC)
Requests for Customer Number Data Change (PTO/SB/124), and Requests for
a Customer Number (PTO/SB/125): (571) 273-0177 facsimile number
Note: The EBC may also be reached by e-mail at: ebc@uspto.gov.
EBC telephone number for customer service and assistance: (866)
217-9197
6. Assignment Branch
Assignments or other documents affecting title: (703) 306-5995
facsimile number
Note: Customers may submit documents directly into the automated
Patent and Trademark Assignment System and receive the resulting
recordation notice at their facsimile machine. (Assignment documents
submitted through the Electronic Patent Assignment System also permits
the recordation notice to be faxed to customers.) Credit card payments
to record assignment documents are now accepted, and use of the Credit
Card form (PTO-2038) is required for the credit card information to be
separated from the assignment records. 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 an
authorization to charge a USPTO deposit account or credit card may be
submitted via facsimile. Please refer to the USPTO 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.
Assignment Branch telephone number for assistance: (703) 308-9723
7. Central Reexamination Unit (CRU)
Inter partes reexamination correspondence, except for the initial
request: (571) 273-0100 facsimile number
Note: All ex parte reexamination correspondence, except for the initial
request, may be sent by facsimile transmission to the central facsimile
number. Correspondence related to reexamination proceedings will be
separately scanned in the CRU.
CRU telephone number for customer service and inquiries: (571)
272-7705
8. Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences
Correspondence related to pending interferences permitted to be
transmitted by facsimile (only where expressly authorized, see 37 CFR
1.6(d)(9)): (571) 273-0042 facsimile number
Note: Correspondence should not be transmitted to this number if an
interference has not yet been declared.
9. Office of the General Counsel
Correspondence permitted to be transmitted to the Office of General
Counsel: (571) 273-0099 facsimile number
10. Office of the Solicitor
Correspondence permitted to be transmitted by facsimile to the Office
of the Solicitor: (571) 273-0373 facsimile number
11. Licensing and Review
Petitions for a foreign filing license pursuant to 37 CFR 5.12(b),
including a petition for a foreign filing license where there is no
corresponding U.S. application (37 CFR 5.13):
(571) 273-0185 facsimile number (if the fax is transmitted on or after
April 1, 2005)
(703) 305-7658 facsimile number (if the fax is transmitted prior to
April 1, 2005)
Note: Correspondence to be filed in a patent application subject to a
secrecy order under 37 CFR Sec. 5.1 through 5.5 and directly related to
the secrecy order content of the application may NOT be transmitted via
facsimile. See 37 CFR Sec. 1.6(d)(6).
12. Office of Petitions
Petitions to Withdraw from Issue: (571) 273-0025 facsimile number
Note: All other types of petitions must be directed to the Central
Facsimile Number ((703) 872-9306). Any paper other than a Petition to
Withdraw from Issue which is sent to the Office of Petitions fax number
(instead of the Central Facsimile Number) will be discarded. Petitions
sent to the Central Facsimile Number should be marked "Special Processing
Submission".
Questions regarding this notice may be e-mailed to
PatentPractice@uspto.gov,_or directed to the Inventors' Assistance Center
by telephone at (800)786-9199, or (703)308-4357.
March 2, 2005 JOSEPH J. ROLLA
Deputy Commissioner for
Patent Examination Policy
i Centralized Delivery and Facsimile Transmission Requirements for Patent
Application Related Correspondence, 1275 Off. Gaz. Pat. Office 200 (Oct.
28, 2003), and Relocation of Customer Service Windows for Patent-Related
Correspondence; Establishment of Drop Box in South Tower for Certain
Patent-Related Correspondence; Hand Carry and Mailing Address for
Trademark-Related Correspondence, 1291 Off. Gaz. Pat. Office 20 (Feb. 1,
2005).
ii Revised Procedures for Papers Requiring Immediate Attention (Hand-
carried and Facsimile Transmissions), 1279 Off. Gaz. Pat. Office 149
(Feb. 24, 2004); Revised Procedures for Papers Requiring Immediate
Attention, 1280 Off. Gaz. Pat. Office 917 (Mar. 23, 2004); and
Establishment of New Mail Stop L&R; and FAX Number for Requests for
Expedited Foreign Filing License, 1282 Off. Gaz. Pat. Office 108
(May 18, 2004).