MPEP § 2912 — Correspondence in Respect of International Design Applications Filed With the USPTO as an Office of Indirect Filing (Annotated Rules)

§2912 Correspondence in Respect of International Design Applications Filed With the USPTO as an Office of Indirect Filing

USPTO MPEP version: BlueIron's Update: 2025-12-31

This page consolidates and annotates all enforceable requirements under MPEP § 2912, 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.

Correspondence in Respect of International Design Applications Filed With the USPTO as an Office of Indirect Filing

This section addresses Correspondence in Respect of International Design Applications Filed With the USPTO as an Office of Indirect Filing. Primary authority: 37 CFR 1.1041 and 37 CFR 1.1042. Contains: 5 permissions and 1 other statement.

Key Rules

Topic

Correspondence Address

5 rules
StatutoryPermittedAlways
[mpep-2912-4873158f28a29d426afb6987]
Applicant May Specify Correspondence Address for USPTO
Note:
The applicant may specify a different address than the one on the DM/1 form for correspondence sent by the USPTO.

Pursuant to 37 CFR 1.1042, the applicant may specify a correspondence address for correspondence sent by the USPTO as an office of indirect filing. The official form (DM/1 form) used for filing an international design application includes items for specifying an address to be used for correspondence sent by the International Bureau. See MPEP § 2909.01. Applicants may specify a different address than specified on the DM/1 form for the purpose of correspondence sent by the USPTO as an office of indirect filing. Where no such address has been specified, the Office will use as the correspondence address of applicant’s appointed representative. See 37 CFR 1.1041. Where no correspondence information is included in the submission, or the correspondence information was not made in accordance with the applicable regulations, the Office may use application data furnished through the USPTO patent electronic filing system for purposes of correspondence until corrected by the applicant. For example, the Office may use the correspondence address associated with a customer number entered through the USPTO patent electronic filing system rather than an address furnished in an unsigned paper in the new application submission. See MPEP § 502.05, subsection I.B.5.

Jump to MPEP Source · 37 CFR 1.1042Correspondence AddressRepresentation Before International BureauCorrespondence Address Requirements
StatutoryInformativeAlways
[mpep-2912-071d84b5b0cef0195bb76573]
Specify Correspondence Address for International Design Applications
Note:
Applicants must specify an address for correspondence sent by the International Bureau when filing international design applications.

Pursuant to 37 CFR 1.1042, the applicant may specify a correspondence address for correspondence sent by the USPTO as an office of indirect filing. The official form (DM/1 form) used for filing an international design application includes items for specifying an address to be used for correspondence sent by the International Bureau. See MPEP § 2909.01. Applicants may specify a different address than specified on the DM/1 form for the purpose of correspondence sent by the USPTO as an office of indirect filing. Where no such address has been specified, the Office will use as the correspondence address of applicant’s appointed representative. See 37 CFR 1.1041. Where no correspondence information is included in the submission, or the correspondence information was not made in accordance with the applicable regulations, the Office may use application data furnished through the USPTO patent electronic filing system for purposes of correspondence until corrected by the applicant. For example, the Office may use the correspondence address associated with a customer number entered through the USPTO patent electronic filing system rather than an address furnished in an unsigned paper in the new application submission. See MPEP § 502.05, subsection I.B.5.

Jump to MPEP Source · 37 CFR 1.1042Correspondence AddressExamination by International BureauRepresentation Before International Bureau
StatutoryPermittedAlways
[mpep-2912-cad4d2dc23b3b1776ec9807f]
Applicant May Specify Different Address for USPTO Correspondence
Note:
Applicants can provide a different address than the one on the DM/1 form for correspondence from the USPTO. If no address is specified, the Office will use the appointed representative's address.

Pursuant to 37 CFR 1.1042, the applicant may specify a correspondence address for correspondence sent by the USPTO as an office of indirect filing. The official form (DM/1 form) used for filing an international design application includes items for specifying an address to be used for correspondence sent by the International Bureau. See MPEP § 2909.01. Applicants may specify a different address than specified on the DM/1 form for the purpose of correspondence sent by the USPTO as an office of indirect filing. Where no such address has been specified, the Office will use as the correspondence address of applicant’s appointed representative. See 37 CFR 1.1041. Where no correspondence information is included in the submission, or the correspondence information was not made in accordance with the applicable regulations, the Office may use application data furnished through the USPTO patent electronic filing system for purposes of correspondence until corrected by the applicant. For example, the Office may use the correspondence address associated with a customer number entered through the USPTO patent electronic filing system rather than an address furnished in an unsigned paper in the new application submission. See MPEP § 502.05, subsection I.B.5.

Jump to MPEP Source · 37 CFR 1.1042Correspondence AddressRepresentation Before International BureauCorrespondence Address Requirements
StatutoryPermittedAlways
[mpep-2912-e069a96601afef5ea4a892d9]
Office May Use Application Data for Correspondence Until Corrected
Note:
The Office may use application data from the USPTO patent electronic filing system for correspondence until the applicant corrects any missing or improperly formatted correspondence information.

Pursuant to 37 CFR 1.1042, the applicant may specify a correspondence address for correspondence sent by the USPTO as an office of indirect filing. The official form (DM/1 form) used for filing an international design application includes items for specifying an address to be used for correspondence sent by the International Bureau. See MPEP § 2909.01. Applicants may specify a different address than specified on the DM/1 form for the purpose of correspondence sent by the USPTO as an office of indirect filing. Where no such address has been specified, the Office will use as the correspondence address of applicant’s appointed representative. See 37 CFR 1.1041. Where no correspondence information is included in the submission, or the correspondence information was not made in accordance with the applicable regulations, the Office may use application data furnished through the USPTO patent electronic filing system for purposes of correspondence until corrected by the applicant. For example, the Office may use the correspondence address associated with a customer number entered through the USPTO patent electronic filing system rather than an address furnished in an unsigned paper in the new application submission. See MPEP § 502.05, subsection I.B.5.

Jump to MPEP Source · 37 CFR 1.1042Correspondence AddressRepresentation Before International BureauCorrespondence with the Office
StatutoryPermittedAlways
[mpep-2912-01d4d8beacd05ff5993e5a14]
Office May Use Customer Number Address Over Paper Address
Note:
The Office may use the correspondence address associated with a customer number entered through the USPTO patent electronic filing system instead of an unsigned paper address provided in a new application submission.

Pursuant to 37 CFR 1.1042, the applicant may specify a correspondence address for correspondence sent by the USPTO as an office of indirect filing. The official form (DM/1 form) used for filing an international design application includes items for specifying an address to be used for correspondence sent by the International Bureau. See MPEP § 2909.01. Applicants may specify a different address than specified on the DM/1 form for the purpose of correspondence sent by the USPTO as an office of indirect filing. Where no such address has been specified, the Office will use as the correspondence address of applicant’s appointed representative. See 37 CFR 1.1041. Where no correspondence information is included in the submission, or the correspondence information was not made in accordance with the applicable regulations, the Office may use application data furnished through the USPTO patent electronic filing system for purposes of correspondence until corrected by the applicant. For example, the Office may use the correspondence address associated with a customer number entered through the USPTO patent electronic filing system rather than an address furnished in an unsigned paper in the new application submission. See MPEP § 502.05, subsection I.B.5.

Jump to MPEP Source · 37 CFR 1.1042Correspondence AddressRepresentation Before International BureauCorrespondence Address Requirements
Topic

Correspondence Address Requirements

1 rules
StatutoryPermittedAlways
[mpep-2912-6b79e5501698beb1547117ad]
Correspondence Address for Indirect Filing
Note:
The applicant must specify a correspondence address; otherwise, the Office will use the representative’s address or the one from Administrative Instruction 302.

The applicant may specify a correspondence address for correspondence sent by the Office as an office of indirect filing. Where no such address has been specified, the Office will use as the correspondence address the address of applicant’s appointed representative (§ 1.1041) or, where no representative is appointed, the address as specified in Administrative Instruction 302.

Jump to MPEP Source · 37 CFR 1.1041Correspondence Address RequirementsCorrespondence with the OfficeCorrespondence Address

Citations

Primary topicCitation
Correspondence Address
Correspondence Address Requirements
37 CFR § 1.1041
Correspondence Address37 CFR § 1.1042
Correspondence AddressMPEP § 2909.01
Correspondence AddressMPEP § 502.05

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