MPEP § 724.01 — Completeness of the Patent File Wrapper (Annotated Rules)
§724.01 Completeness of the Patent File Wrapper
This page consolidates and annotates all enforceable requirements under MPEP § 724.01, 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.
Completeness of the Patent File Wrapper
This section addresses Completeness of the Patent File Wrapper. Primary authority: 37 CFR 1.56. Contains: 1 requirement and 1 other statement.
Key Rules
Material Information Definition
It is the intent of the Office that the patent file wrapper be as complete as possible insofar as “material” information is concerned. The Office attempts to minimize the potential conflict between full disclosure of “material” information as required by 37 CFR 1.56 and protection of trade secret, proprietary, and protective order material to the extent possible.
It is the intent of the Office that the patent file wrapper be as complete as possible insofar as “material” information is concerned. The Office attempts to minimize the potential conflict between full disclosure of “material” information as required by 37 CFR 1.56 and protection of trade secret, proprietary, and protective order material to the extent possible.
Citations
| Primary topic | Citation |
|---|---|
| Material Information Definition | 37 CFR § 1.56 |
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 § 724.01 — Completeness of the Patent File Wrapper
Source: USPTO724.01 Completeness of the Patent File Wrapper [R-08.2012]
It is the intent of the Office that the patent file wrapper be as complete as possible insofar as “material” information is concerned. The Office attempts to minimize the potential conflict between full disclosure of “material” information as required by 37 CFR 1.56 and protection of trade secret, proprietary, and protective order material to the extent possible.
The procedures set forth in the following sections are designed to enable the Office to ensure as complete a patent file wrapper as possible while preventing unnecessary public disclosure of trade secrets, proprietary material, and protective order material.