What authority do primary examiners in design and plant areas have regarding application acceptance?

Primary examiners in design and plant areas have significant authority regarding application acceptance. Specifically:

• They have been granted full authority to accept any application submitted to them that they believe is properly classifiable in a class within their art unit.
• This authority allows for efficient processing and assignment of applications within their area of expertise.

As stated in the MPEP: The primary examiners in design and plant areas have been designated full authority to accept any application submitted to them that they believe is properly classifiable in a class in their art unit. (MPEP 909.02)

This delegation of authority streamlines the process of application assignment and classification within the design and plant patent examination areas.

To learn more:

• primary examiners
• design patents
• plant patents
• application acceptance
• patent classification