How does the Director of International Patent Legal Administration handle requests for confidentiality of international applications?

The Director of International Patent Legal Administration is responsible for handling requests related to the confidentiality of international applications. Specifically, they decide on:

• Petitions for express abandonment to avoid publication of international applications
• Petitions to review decisions refusing to publish international applications

This is stated in MPEP 1002.02(p): “The Director of International Patent Legal Administration decides petitions for express abandonment to avoid publication of international applications and petitions to review decisions refusing to publish international applications.”

These decisions are crucial for applicants who wish to maintain the confidentiality of their international patent applications or challenge decisions that prevent publication.

To learn more:

• international applications
• confidentiality
• express abandonment
• publication refusal