MPEP § 713.10 — Interview Preceding Filing Amendment Under 37 CFR 1.312 (Annotated Rules)

§713.10 Interview Preceding Filing Amendment Under 37 CFR 1.312

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

This page consolidates and annotates all enforceable requirements under MPEP § 713.10, 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.

Interview Preceding Filing Amendment Under 37 CFR 1.312

This section addresses Interview Preceding Filing Amendment Under 37 CFR 1.312. Primary authority: 37 CFR 1.312. Contains: 1 prohibition, 2 guidance statements, and 2 other statements.

Key Rules

Topic

PTAB Jurisdiction

4 rules
StatutoryInformativeAlways
[mpep-713-10-c932a657682701ae30e42a31]
Application After Issue No Longer Under Primary Examiner's Jurisdiction
Note:
An application that has been sent to issue is no longer under the primary examiner’s jurisdiction and interviews involving detailed claim consideration are not permitted.

After an application is sent to issue, it is technically no longer under the jurisdiction of the primary examiner. 37 CFR 1.312. An interview with an examiner that would involve a detailed consideration of claims sought to be entered and perhaps entailing a discussion of the prior art for determining whether or not the claims are allowable should not be given. Obviously an applicant is not entitled to a greater degree of consideration in an amendment presented informally than is given an applicant in the consideration of an amendment when formally presented, particularly since consideration of an amendment filed under 37 CFR 1.312 cannot be demanded as a matter of right.

Jump to MPEP Source · 37 CFR 1.312PTAB JurisdictionPTAB Contested Case Procedures
StatutoryInformativeAlways
[mpep-713-10-5acf1a07894db18465cab419]
Interviews Not Permitted After Application Issues
Note:
An interview with an examiner regarding claims after an application issues is not allowed, as the application is no longer under primary examiner jurisdiction.

After an application is sent to issue, it is technically no longer under the jurisdiction of the primary examiner. 37 CFR 1.312. An interview with an examiner that would involve a detailed consideration of claims sought to be entered and perhaps entailing a discussion of the prior art for determining whether or not the claims are allowable should not be given. Obviously an applicant is not entitled to a greater degree of consideration in an amendment presented informally than is given an applicant in the consideration of an amendment when formally presented, particularly since consideration of an amendment filed under 37 CFR 1.312 cannot be demanded as a matter of right.

Jump to MPEP Source · 37 CFR 1.312PTAB JurisdictionPTAB Contested Case Procedures
StatutoryRecommendedAlways
[mpep-713-10-ca6a71767f50f8ef5b41aaf0]
Interviews on Claims Not Allowed
Note:
An interview involving detailed claim consideration and prior art discussion is not permitted after an application issues.

After an application is sent to issue, it is technically no longer under the jurisdiction of the primary examiner. 37 CFR 1.312. An interview with an examiner that would involve a detailed consideration of claims sought to be entered and perhaps entailing a discussion of the prior art for determining whether or not the claims are allowable should not be given. Obviously an applicant is not entitled to a greater degree of consideration in an amendment presented informally than is given an applicant in the consideration of an amendment when formally presented, particularly since consideration of an amendment filed under 37 CFR 1.312 cannot be demanded as a matter of right.

Jump to MPEP Source · 37 CFR 1.312PTAB JurisdictionPTAB Contested Case Procedures
StatutoryProhibitedAlways
[mpep-713-10-0d56d7e8c3b8287cfec24223]
Informal Amendments Get No Greater Consideration Than Formal Ones
Note:
An applicant cannot receive more consideration for an informal amendment than a formal one, as amendments under 37 CFR 1.312 are not demandable as a right.

After an application is sent to issue, it is technically no longer under the jurisdiction of the primary examiner. 37 CFR 1.312. An interview with an examiner that would involve a detailed consideration of claims sought to be entered and perhaps entailing a discussion of the prior art for determining whether or not the claims are allowable should not be given. Obviously an applicant is not entitled to a greater degree of consideration in an amendment presented informally than is given an applicant in the consideration of an amendment when formally presented, particularly since consideration of an amendment filed under 37 CFR 1.312 cannot be demanded as a matter of right.

Jump to MPEP Source · 37 CFR 1.312PTAB JurisdictionPTAB Contested Case Procedures
Topic

Notice of Allowance

1 rules
StatutoryRecommendedAlways
[mpep-713-10-871663fa62dce557871d4c08]
Interviews on Notice of Allowance Require Director’s Approval for Extraordinary Circumstances
Note:
Patent applicants must obtain specific approval from the Technology Center Director to request interviews after receiving a notice of allowance, only if extraordinary circumstances are demonstrated in writing.

Requests for interviews on cases where a notice of allowance has been mailed should be granted only with specific approval of the Technology Center Director upon a showing in writing of extraordinary circumstances.

Jump to MPEP SourceNotice of AllowancePatent Grant and Document FormatPatent Issue and Publication

Citations

Primary topicCitation
PTAB Jurisdiction37 CFR § 1.312

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