What are the file format requirements for ASCII plain text submissions?
ASCII plain text submissions for Sequence Listings, Large Tables, and Computer Program Listing Appendices must meet the following requirements:
- Must be compatible with PC or Mac computers
- Must be compatible with MS-DOS, MS-Windows, Mac OS, or Unix/Linux operating systems
- Must use only ASCII characters, including printable characters and limited control characters (e.g., line terminators)
- File names must have a .txt extension
- Must not exceed 25 MB when submitted via the USPTO patent electronic filing system (file compression not permitted)
As stated in MPEP 608.05: The text files submitted via the USPTO patent electronic filing system or stored on read-only optical disc(s) containing the “Large Tables” must contain only ASCII characters. All printable characters (including the space character) are permitted, but no nonprintable (ASCII control) characters are permitted, except ASCII Carriage Return plus ASCII Line FEED (CRLF) or Line Feed (LF) as line terminators.
To learn more: