What is the Common Citation Document (CCD) application?

Source: FAQ (MPEP-Based)BlueIron Update: 2024-09-27

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.

The Common Citation Document (CCD) application is a tool that provides a single point of access to citation data for the patent applications of the IP5 Offices. According to MPEP 901.07:

“The Common Citation Document (CCD) application allows users to see, in a single location, the prior art cited by the IP5 Offices for the family members of a patent application.”

This tool is particularly useful for patent examiners and applicants to efficiently review and compare citation data across multiple patent offices.

Tags: ccd, common citation document, ip5 offices, patent family, prior art