What is Private PAIR and how can I access it for international patent applications?
This page is an FAQ based on guidance from the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only: it is not legal advice.
Private PAIR (Patent Application Information Retrieval) is a system that displays information regarding patent application status, allowing applicants to access current patent application status electronically via the Internet. To access private PAIR for international applications, you must meet the following criteria:
- Be a registered patent attorney/agent, an independent inventor, or a person granted limited recognition
- Have a customer number
- Have a verified USPTO.gov account for secure access to patent data
As stated in MPEP 1809: “To have access to private PAIR, the applicant must (1) be a registered patent attorney/agent, an independent inventor, or a person granted limited recognition, (2) have a customer number, and (3) have a verified USPTO.gov account to allow secure access to patent data.”
Further information on registration can be found at www.uspto.gov/patents/process/file/efs/guidance/register.jsp.