MPEP § 314 — Certificates of Change of Name or of Merger (Annotated Rules)

This page consolidates and annotates all enforceable requirements under MPEP § 314, including statutory authority, regulatory rules, examiner guidance, and practice notes. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only, it is not legal advice.

Certificates of Change of Name or of Merger

This section addresses Certificates of Change of Name or of Merger.

Key Rules

Permitted Actions (1)

MPEP GuidancePermittedAlways
[mpep-314-84e0aadbc2f0b7b907828a17]
Certificates for Name Changes and Mergers Required
Note:
Certificates showing a change in a business name or merger are required to be recorded as part of the chain of title.

Certificates issued by appropriate authorities showing a change of name of a business or a merger of businesses are recordable. Although a mere change of name does not constitute a change in legal entity, it is properly a link in the chain of title. Documents of merger are also proper links in the chain of title. They may represent a change of entity as well as a change of name.

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Definitions & Scope (3)

MPEP GuidanceInformativeAlways
[mpep-314-95618be19566d9c725f2e191]
Certificates Showing Name Change or Merger Must Be Recorded
Note:
Certificates issued by authorities showing a change of name or merger of businesses must be recorded as part of the chain of title.

Certificates issued by appropriate authorities showing a change of name of a business or a merger of businesses are recordable. Although a mere change of name does not constitute a change in legal entity, it is properly a link in the chain of title. Documents of merger are also proper links in the chain of title. They may represent a change of entity as well as a change of name.

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MPEP GuidanceInformativeAlways
[mpep-314-0186eda7190a7d1356b45f96]
Name Change Is a Link in Chain of Title
Note:
A change of name for a business is recorded but does not constitute a legal entity change, yet it is considered part of the chain of title.

Certificates issued by appropriate authorities showing a change of name of a business or a merger of businesses are recordable. Although a mere change of name does not constitute a change in legal entity, it is properly a link in the chain of title. Documents of merger are also proper links in the chain of title. They may represent a change of entity as well as a change of name.

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MPEP GuidanceInformativeAlways
[mpep-314-311e92d51a252b86538b1159]
Merger Documents as Chain of Title Links
Note:
Certificates showing a business merger are valid links in the chain of title, representing both name changes and entity changes.

Certificates issued by appropriate authorities showing a change of name of a business or a merger of businesses are recordable. Although a mere change of name does not constitute a change in legal entity, it is properly a link in the chain of title. Documents of merger are also proper links in the chain of title. They may represent a change of entity as well as a change of name.

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Source Text from USPTO’s MPEP

This is an exact copy of the MPEP from the USPTO. It is here for your reference to see the section in context.

BlueIron Last Updated: 2025-12-31