What is the role of a supervisory patent examiner in application assignment?

The supervisory patent examiner plays a crucial role in the assignment of patent applications to examiners. According to MPEP 909.02(b):

“The supervisory patent examiner normally assigns the application to an examiner.”

This means that the supervisory patent examiner is typically responsible for:

  • Reviewing incoming applications
  • Determining which examiner is best suited to handle each application
  • Assigning the application to the appropriate examiner for examination

This process ensures that applications are distributed efficiently and assigned to examiners with the relevant expertise.

To learn more:

Tags: patent assignment, patent examination process, Supervisory Patent Examiner