MPEP 2600 – Optional Inter Partes Reexamination

This page consolidates and annotates enforceable requirements under MPEP 2600 — Optional Inter Partes Reexamination, 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.

Metric	Value	Share of total
Rules extracted	222	0.6%
Citations to Authorities	MPEP225 USC10 CFR230 PCT0	0.4%
Avg citations per rule	2.09
Topics covered	15 primary + 37 secondary	2.1%

Pages in this chapter

Page
MPEP § 2601 — Introduction6 rules
MPEP § 2601.01 — Flowcharts2 rules
MPEP § 2602 — Citation of Prior Art2 rules
MPEP § 2609 — Inter Partes Reexamination2 rules
MPEP § 2610 — Request for Inter Partes Reexamination2 rules
MPEP § 2611 — Time for Requesting Inter Partes Reexamination2 rules
MPEP § 2612 — Persons Who May File a Request2 rules
MPEP § 2613 — Representative of Requester2 rules
MPEP § 2614 — Content of Request for Inter Partes Reexamination2 rules
MPEP § 2615 — Fee for Requesting Inter Partes Reexamination2 rules
MPEP § 2616 — Substantial New Question of Patentability/Reasonable Likelihood That Requester Will Prevail2 rules
MPEP § 2617 — Statement in the Request Applying Prior Art2 rules
MPEP § 2618 — Copies of Prior Art (Patents and Printed Publications)2 rules
MPEP § 2619 — Copy of Printed Patent2 rules
MPEP § 2620 — Certificate of Service2 rules
MPEP § 2622 — Address of Patent Owner2 rules
MPEP § 2623 — Withdrawal of Attorney or Agent2 rules
MPEP § 2624 — Correspondence2 rules
MPEP § 2625 — Untimely Paper Filed Prior to First Office Action2 rules
MPEP § 2626 — Initial Processing of Request for Inter Partes Reexamination2 rules
MPEP § 2627 — Incomplete Request for Inter Partes Reexamination2 rules
MPEP § 2629 — Notice of Request for Inter Partes Reexamination in Official Gazette2 rules
MPEP § 2630 — Constructive Notice to Patent Owner2 rules
MPEP § 2631 — Processing of Request Corrections2 rules
MPEP § 2632 — Public Access2 rules
MPEP § 2632.01 — Determining If a Reexamination Request Was Filed for a Patent2 rules
MPEP § 2634 — Fee Processing and Procedure2 rules
MPEP § 2635 — Record Systems2 rules
MPEP § 2636 — Assignment of Reexamination2 rules
MPEP § 2638 — Time Reporting2 rules
MPEP § 2640 — Decision on Request2 rules
MPEP § 2641 — Time for Deciding Request2 rules
MPEP § 2642 — Criteria for Deciding Request2 rules
MPEP § 2643 — Claims Considered in Deciding Request2 rules
MPEP § 2644 — Prior Art on Which the Determination Is Based2 rules
MPEP § 2646 — Decision Ordering Reexamination2 rules
MPEP § 2647 — Decision Denying Reexamination2 rules
MPEP § 2647.01 — Examples of Decisions on Requests2 rules
MPEP § 2647.02 — Processing of Decision2 rules
MPEP § 2648 — Petition From Denial of Request2 rules
MPEP § 2654 — Conduct of Inter Partes Reexamination Proceedings2 rules
MPEP § 2655 — Who Reexamines2 rules
MPEP § 2656 — Prior Art Patents and Printed Publications Reviewed by Examiner in Reexamination2 rules
MPEP § 2657 — Listing of Prior Art2 rules
MPEP § 2658 — Scope of Inter Partes Reexamination2 rules
MPEP § 2659 — Res Judicata and Collateral Estoppel in Reexamination Proceedings2 rules
MPEP § 2660 — First Office Action2 rules
MPEP § 2660.02 — The Title2 rules
MPEP § 2660.03 — Dependent Claims2 rules
MPEP § 2661 — Special Status for Action2 rules
MPEP § 2662 — Time for Response and Comments2 rules
MPEP § 2664 — Mailing of Office Action2 rules
MPEP § 2665 — Extension of Time for Patent Owner Response2 rules
MPEP § 2666 — Patent Owner Response to Office Action2 rules
MPEP § 2666.01 — Amendment by Patent Owner2 rules
MPEP § 2666.02 — Correction of Patent Drawings2 rules
MPEP § 2666.03 — Correction of Inventorship2 rules
MPEP § 2666.04 — Fees for Adding Claims2 rules
MPEP § 2666.05 — Third Party Comments After Patent Owner Response2 rules
MPEP § 2666.06 — Service of Papers2 rules
MPEP § 2666.10 — Patent Owner Does Not Respond to Office Action2 rules
MPEP § 2666.20 — Third Party Does Not Comment After Patent Owner Response2 rules
MPEP § 2666.30 — Submission Not Fully Responsive to Non-final Office Action2 rules
MPEP § 2666.40 — Patent Owner Completion of Response and Third Party Comments Thereon2 rules
MPEP § 2666.50 — Examiner Issues Notice of Defective Paper in Inter Partes Reexamination2 rules
MPEP § 2666.60 — Response by Patent Owner/Third Party to Notice of Defective Paper2 rules
MPEP § 2667 — Handling of Inappropriate or Untimely Filed Papers2 rules
MPEP § 2668 — Petition for Entry of Late Papers for Revival of Reexamination Proceeding2 rules
MPEP § 2670 — Clerical Handling2 rules
MPEP § 2671 — Examiner Action Following Response/Comments or Expiration of Time for Same2 rules
MPEP § 2671.01 — Examiner Issues Action on Merits That Does Not Close Prosecution2 rules
MPEP § 2671.02 — Examiner Issues Action Closing Prosecution (ACP)2 rules
MPEP § 2671.03 — Panel Review2 rules
MPEP § 2672 — Patent Owner Comments/Amendment After ACP and Third Party Requester Responsive Comments2 rules
MPEP § 2673 — Examiner Consideration of Submissions After ACP and Further Action2 rules
MPEP § 2673.01 — Reopening Prosecution After ACP2 rules
MPEP § 2673.02 — Examiner Issues Right of Appeal Notice (RAN)2 rules
MPEP § 2674 — Appeal in Inter Partes Reexamination2 rules
MPEP § 2674.01 — Cross Appeal After Original Appeal2 rules
MPEP § 2675 — Appellant Brief2 rules
MPEP § 2675.01 — Respondent Brief2 rules
MPEP § 2675.02 — Informalities in One or More of the Briefs2 rules
MPEP § 2676 — Appeal Conference2 rules
MPEP § 2677 — Examiner’s Answer2 rules
MPEP § 2678 — Rebuttal Briefs2 rules
MPEP § 2679 — Office Treatment of Rebuttal Brief2 rules
MPEP § 2680 — Oral Hearing2 rules
MPEP § 2681 — Board Decision2 rules
MPEP § 2682 — Action Following Decision2 rules
MPEP § 2683 — Appeal to Courts2 rules
MPEP § 2684 — Information Material to Patentability in Reexamination Proceeding2 rules
MPEP § 2685 — No Interviews on Merits in Inter Partes Reexamination Proceedings2 rules
MPEP § 2686 — Notification of Existence of Prior or Concurrent Proceedings and Decisions Thereon2 rules
MPEP § 2686.01 — Multiple Copending Reexamination Proceedings2 rules
MPEP § 2686.02 — Copending Reexamination and Interference Proceedings2 rules
MPEP § 2686.03 — Copending Reexamination and Reissue Proceedings2 rules
MPEP § 2686.04 — Reexamination and Litigation Proceedings2 rules
MPEP § 2686.05 — Reexamination and Inter Partes Review Proceedings, Post-Grant Review, and Covered Business Method Patent Review2 rules
MPEP § 2687 — Notice of Intent to Issue Inter Partes Reexamination Certificate (NIRC) and Conclusion of Reexamination Proceeding2 rules
MPEP § 2687.01 — Examiner Consideration of Submissions After NIRC2 rules
MPEP § 2688 — Issuance of Inter Partes Reexamination Certificate2 rules
MPEP § 2689 — Reexamination Review2 rules
MPEP § 2690 — Format of Inter Partes Reexamination Certificate2 rules
MPEP § 2691 — Notice of Inter Partes Reexamination Certificate Issuance in Official Gazette2 rules
MPEP § 2692 — Distribution of Certificate2 rules
MPEP § 2693 — Intervening Rights2 rules
MPEP § 2694 — Concluded Reexamination Proceedings2 rules
MPEP § 2695 — Reexamination of a Reexamination2 rules
MPEP § 2696 — USPTO Forms To Be Used in Inter Partes Reexamination2 rules