MPEP § 714.21 — Amendments Inadvertently Entered, No Legal Effect (Annotated Rules)
§714.21 Amendments Inadvertently Entered, No Legal Effect
This page consolidates and annotates all enforceable requirements under MPEP § 714.21, 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.
Amendments Inadvertently Entered, No Legal Effect
This section addresses Amendments Inadvertently Entered, No Legal Effect. Primary authority: 37 CFR 1.3. Contains: 1 guidance statement.
Key Rules
Access to Patent Application Files (MPEP 101-106)
If an amendatory paper is to be retained in the file, even though not entered, it should be given a paper number and listed on the file wrapper with the notation “Not Entered.” See 37 CFR 1.3 and MPEP § 714.25 for an example of a paper which may be denied entry.
Citations
| Primary topic | Citation |
|---|---|
| Access to Patent Application Files (MPEP 101-106) | 37 CFR § 1.3 |
| Access to Patent Application Files (MPEP 101-106) | MPEP § 714.25 |
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.
Official MPEP § 714.21 — Amendments Inadvertently Entered, No Legal Effect
Source: USPTO714.21 Amendments Inadvertently Entered, No Legal Effect [R-11.2013]
If the technical support staff inadvertently enters an amendment when it should not have been entered, such entry is of no legal effect, and the same action is taken as if the changes had not been actually made, inasmuch as they have not been legally made. Unless such unauthorized entry is deleted, suitable notation should be made on the margin of the amendatory paper, as “Not Officially Entered” with the typewriter tool in Adobe Acrobat.
If an amendatory paper is to be retained in the file, even though not entered, it should be given a paper number and listed on the file wrapper with the notation “Not Entered.” See 37 CFR 1.3 and MPEP § 714.25 for an example of a paper which may be denied entry.