What are the requirements for submitting a “Computer Program Listing Appendix” in a patent application?

A “Computer Program Listing Appendix” must be submitted as an ASCII plain text file via the USPTO patent electronic filing system or on read-only optical discs if it exceeds 300 lines of code. The appendix must comply with the following requirements as per 37 CFR 1.96(c):

  • Must be compatible with PC or Mac computers and MS-DOS, MS-Windows, Mac OS, or Unix/Linux operating systems
  • Must use ASCII CRLF or LF line terminators
  • Must not be dependent on control characters outside the ASCII character set
  • File name must have a .txt extension
  • Must not exceed 25 MB when submitted via the USPTO patent electronic filing system
  • Must be incorporated by reference in the specification

These requirements ensure proper handling and accessibility of computer program listings in patent applications.

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