MPEP § 502.04 — Duplicate Copies of Correspondence (Annotated Rules)
§502.04 Duplicate Copies of Correspondence
This page consolidates and annotates all enforceable requirements under MPEP § 502.04, 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.
Duplicate Copies of Correspondence
This section addresses Duplicate Copies of Correspondence. Primary authority: 37 CFR 1.4. Contains: 2 permissions.
Key Rules
Signature Requirements
When the Office does not require duplicate copies of a paper, the filing of multiple copies may cause a delay in processing by the Office. Accordingly, the Office may discard duplicate copies of correspondence filed in an application or patent file.
When the Office does not require duplicate copies of a paper, the filing of multiple copies may cause a delay in processing by the Office. Accordingly, the Office may discard duplicate copies of correspondence filed in an application or patent file.
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 § 502.04 — Duplicate Copies of Correspondence
Source: USPTO502.04 Duplicate Copies of Correspondence [R-08.2012]
37 CFR 1.4 Nature of correspondence and signature requirements.
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- (b) Since each file must be complete in itself, a separate copy of every paper to be filed in a patent, patent file, or other proceeding must be furnished for each file to which the paper pertains, even though the contents of the papers filed in two or more files may be identical. The filing of duplicate copies of correspondence in the file of an application, patent, or other proceeding should be avoided, except in situations in which the Office requires the filing of duplicate copies. The Office may dispose of duplicate copies of correspondence in the file of an application, patent, or other proceeding.
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When the Office does not require duplicate copies of a paper, the filing of multiple copies may cause a delay in processing by the Office. Accordingly, the Office may discard duplicate copies of correspondence filed in an application or patent file.