What happens if the USPTO can’t reach a patent owner at their address of record?

What happens if the USPTO can’t reach a patent owner at their address of record?

If the USPTO cannot reach a patent owner at their address of record, it may have serious consequences for the patent. According to MPEP 2805:

“It is important for the Office to have a correct address for the patent owner. … Correspondence will be mailed to the patent owner at the address of record. If the Office does not have a current address for the patent owner, the Office may rely on the previously provided address information until the patent owner submits a new address.”

This means:

• Important notices may not reach the patent owner
• Deadlines could be missed, potentially leading to patent expiration
• The patent owner might not be aware of third-party challenges or requests for examination

To avoid these issues, patent owners should promptly update their address using the appropriate Change of Correspondence Address Form whenever there are changes.

To learn more:

• patent correspondence
• USPTO communication
• address of record
• patent maintenance