What is the role of OPLA in the reexamination request transfer process?

The Office of Patent Legal Administration (OPLA) plays a crucial role in the reexamination request transfer process. According to MPEP 2237, OPLA’s responsibilities include:

• Receiving misdirected reexamination requests from TC Directors.
• Forwarding the request papers to the appropriate Technology Center (TC).
• Assisting in determining the proper TC for reexamination if there’s uncertainty.

The MPEP states:

“Where a TC Director believes that reexamination has been inappropriately assigned to his/her TC, he/she must return the request papers to the Office of Patent Legal Administration (OPLA) for forwarding to the appropriate TC.”

This highlights OPLA’s role as a central point for managing and redirecting reexamination requests to ensure they are processed by the correct TC.

To learn more:

• OPLA
• reexamination request
• transfer process
• Technology Center