How can I file an interim copy of a foreign application electronically?
Filing an interim copy of a foreign application electronically can be done through the USPTO patent electronic filing system. The MPEP provides guidance on how to file different parts of the application:
- Main parts (Abstract, Drawings, Specification, Claims) and the cover sheet can be filed as a single PDF file.
- Text-only files (e.g., Sequence Listings, Large Tables) can be filed as .txt files.
- XML files (e.g., Standard ST.26 Sequence Listing) should be filed on a read-only optical disc.
The MPEP states: If not provided as a single paper document, the main parts of the interim copy of the foreign priority application, i.e., Abstract, Drawings, Specification, Claims, and where applicable, the foreign patent office’s equivalent to a ‘Sequence Listing’ (see MPEP § 2421.01 a ‘Sequence Listing XML’ (see MPEP § 2412), ‘Large Tables’ (see MPEP § 608.05(b)), or a ‘Computer Program Listing Appendix’ (see MPEP § 608.05(a)), along with the separate cover sheet required by 37 CFR 1.55(j), may be filed as a single PDF image file via the USPTO patent electronic filing system.
For more information on electronic filing, refer to MPEP § 502.05.
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