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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