Patent Law FAQ

What is the difference between a correspondence address and a fee address in USPTO filings?

In USPTO filings, the correspondence address and fee address serve different purposes:

• Correspondence Address: Where the USPTO sends all official communications regarding a patent application or patent.
• Fee Address: Where the USPTO sends maintenance fee reminders for granted patents.

The MPEP clarifies:

The correspondence address is the address associated with the Customer Number to which correspondence is directed. The fee address is the address associated with the Customer Number to which maintenance fee reminders are directed. (MPEP 403)

While these addresses can be the same, they don’t have to be. Applicants or patent owners might choose different addresses, for example, if a law firm handles prosecution but the company itself manages maintenance fees. Using a customer number allows for easy management of both addresses.

For more information on Correspondence Address, visit: Correspondence Address.

For more information on Customer Number, visit: Customer Number.

For more information on Fee Address, visit: Fee Address.

A Customer Number is a USPTO-assigned number that can be used to:

• Designate the correspondence address for a patent application or patent
• Designate the fee address for a patent
• Submit a list of practitioners with power of attorney

According to MPEP 403: “A Customer Number may be used to designate the address associated with the Customer Number as the correspondence address of an application (or patent) or the fee address of a patent, and may also be used to submit a power of attorney in the application (or patent) to the registered practitioners associated with the Customer Number.”

Using a Customer Number simplifies making changes to correspondence addresses and practitioner information across multiple applications.

For more information on Correspondence Address, visit: Correspondence Address.

For more information on Customer Number, visit: Customer Number.

For more information on Fee Address, visit: Fee Address.

For more information on power of attorney, visit: power of attorney.

In pre-2012 patent applications, filing a new power of attorney can have significant effects on existing powers of attorney. MPEP 402.05(b) outlines several scenarios:

1. New power of attorney without explicit revocation: “When an original power of attorney is filed giving power of attorney to attorneys A, B, and C, and the same principal subsequently files another power of attorney, giving power of attorney to D without revoking all prior powers of attorney, the subsequently filed power of attorney will be treated as a revocation of the original power of attorney.”
2. Assignee filing new power of attorney: “If the applicant signed the original power of attorney, and an assignee of the entire interest of the applicant later takes action and files a new power of attorney, the original power of attorney is revoked and replaced by the power of attorney filed by the assignee.”
3. Change in Customer Number: “If a power of attorney is given to the practitioners associated with a Customer Number, and a (second) power of attorney is later received giving power of attorney to patent practitioners associated with a different Customer Number, the second power of attorney will be processed, with the first Customer Number being replaced with the second.”

In all these cases, the most recently filed power of attorney will control, effectively revoking or replacing the previous ones.

To learn more:

• power of attorney
• revocation
• pre-AIA
• customer number

When a new power of attorney is filed, it generally revokes all prior powers of attorney. MPEP 402.05(a) provides several scenarios:

• If a new power of attorney is filed without explicitly revoking prior ones, it will be treated as a revocation of the original power of attorney.
• If an assignee files a new power of attorney, it revokes and replaces the original power of attorney filed by the applicant.
• If a power of attorney is given to practitioners associated with a Customer Number, and a second power of attorney is later received for a different Customer Number, the second one will replace the first.

The MPEP states:

In all of these situations, the most recently filed power of attorney will control.

This means that the latest power of attorney filed will take precedence over any previously filed ones.

To learn more:

• power of attorney
• revocation
• new filing
• Customer Number

What is the difference between a correspondence address and a fee address in USPTO filings?

In USPTO filings, the correspondence address and fee address serve different purposes:

• Correspondence Address: Where the USPTO sends all official communications regarding a patent application or patent.
• Fee Address: Where the USPTO sends maintenance fee reminders for granted patents.

The MPEP clarifies:

The correspondence address is the address associated with the Customer Number to which correspondence is directed. The fee address is the address associated with the Customer Number to which maintenance fee reminders are directed. (MPEP 403)

While these addresses can be the same, they don’t have to be. Applicants or patent owners might choose different addresses, for example, if a law firm handles prosecution but the company itself manages maintenance fees. Using a customer number allows for easy management of both addresses.

For more information on Correspondence Address, visit: Correspondence Address.

For more information on Customer Number, visit: Customer Number.

For more information on Fee Address, visit: Fee Address.

A Customer Number is a USPTO-assigned number that can be used to:

• Designate the correspondence address for a patent application or patent
• Designate the fee address for a patent
• Submit a list of practitioners with power of attorney

According to MPEP 403: “A Customer Number may be used to designate the address associated with the Customer Number as the correspondence address of an application (or patent) or the fee address of a patent, and may also be used to submit a power of attorney in the application (or patent) to the registered practitioners associated with the Customer Number.”

Using a Customer Number simplifies making changes to correspondence addresses and practitioner information across multiple applications.

For more information on Correspondence Address, visit: Correspondence Address.

For more information on Customer Number, visit: Customer Number.

For more information on Fee Address, visit: Fee Address.

For more information on power of attorney, visit: power of attorney.

What is the difference between a correspondence address and a fee address in USPTO filings?

In USPTO filings, the correspondence address and fee address serve different purposes:

• Correspondence Address: Where the USPTO sends all official communications regarding a patent application or patent.
• Fee Address: Where the USPTO sends maintenance fee reminders for granted patents.

The MPEP clarifies:

The correspondence address is the address associated with the Customer Number to which correspondence is directed. The fee address is the address associated with the Customer Number to which maintenance fee reminders are directed. (MPEP 403)

While these addresses can be the same, they don’t have to be. Applicants or patent owners might choose different addresses, for example, if a law firm handles prosecution but the company itself manages maintenance fees. Using a customer number allows for easy management of both addresses.

For more information on Correspondence Address, visit: Correspondence Address.

For more information on Customer Number, visit: Customer Number.

For more information on Fee Address, visit: Fee Address.

A Customer Number is a USPTO-assigned number that can be used to:

• Designate the correspondence address for a patent application or patent
• Designate the fee address for a patent
• Submit a list of practitioners with power of attorney

According to MPEP 403: “A Customer Number may be used to designate the address associated with the Customer Number as the correspondence address of an application (or patent) or the fee address of a patent, and may also be used to submit a power of attorney in the application (or patent) to the registered practitioners associated with the Customer Number.”

Using a Customer Number simplifies making changes to correspondence addresses and practitioner information across multiple applications.

For more information on Correspondence Address, visit: Correspondence Address.

For more information on Customer Number, visit: Customer Number.

For more information on Fee Address, visit: Fee Address.

For more information on power of attorney, visit: power of attorney.

In pre-2012 patent applications, filing a new power of attorney can have significant effects on existing powers of attorney. MPEP 402.05(b) outlines several scenarios:

1. New power of attorney without explicit revocation: “When an original power of attorney is filed giving power of attorney to attorneys A, B, and C, and the same principal subsequently files another power of attorney, giving power of attorney to D without revoking all prior powers of attorney, the subsequently filed power of attorney will be treated as a revocation of the original power of attorney.”
2. Assignee filing new power of attorney: “If the applicant signed the original power of attorney, and an assignee of the entire interest of the applicant later takes action and files a new power of attorney, the original power of attorney is revoked and replaced by the power of attorney filed by the assignee.”
3. Change in Customer Number: “If a power of attorney is given to the practitioners associated with a Customer Number, and a (second) power of attorney is later received giving power of attorney to patent practitioners associated with a different Customer Number, the second power of attorney will be processed, with the first Customer Number being replaced with the second.”

In all these cases, the most recently filed power of attorney will control, effectively revoking or replacing the previous ones.

To learn more:

• power of attorney
• revocation
• pre-AIA
• customer number

When a new power of attorney is filed, it generally revokes all prior powers of attorney. MPEP 402.05(a) provides several scenarios:

• If a new power of attorney is filed without explicitly revoking prior ones, it will be treated as a revocation of the original power of attorney.
• If an assignee files a new power of attorney, it revokes and replaces the original power of attorney filed by the applicant.
• If a power of attorney is given to practitioners associated with a Customer Number, and a second power of attorney is later received for a different Customer Number, the second one will replace the first.

The MPEP states:

In all of these situations, the most recently filed power of attorney will control.

This means that the latest power of attorney filed will take precedence over any previously filed ones.

To learn more:

• power of attorney
• revocation
• new filing
• Customer Number

What is the difference between a correspondence address and a fee address in USPTO filings?

In USPTO filings, the correspondence address and fee address serve different purposes:

• Correspondence Address: Where the USPTO sends all official communications regarding a patent application or patent.
• Fee Address: Where the USPTO sends maintenance fee reminders for granted patents.

The MPEP clarifies:

The correspondence address is the address associated with the Customer Number to which correspondence is directed. The fee address is the address associated with the Customer Number to which maintenance fee reminders are directed. (MPEP 403)

While these addresses can be the same, they don’t have to be. Applicants or patent owners might choose different addresses, for example, if a law firm handles prosecution but the company itself manages maintenance fees. Using a customer number allows for easy management of both addresses.

For more information on Correspondence Address, visit: Correspondence Address.

For more information on Customer Number, visit: Customer Number.

For more information on Fee Address, visit: Fee Address.

A Customer Number is a USPTO-assigned number that can be used to:

• Designate the correspondence address for a patent application or patent
• Designate the fee address for a patent
• Submit a list of practitioners with power of attorney

According to MPEP 403: “A Customer Number may be used to designate the address associated with the Customer Number as the correspondence address of an application (or patent) or the fee address of a patent, and may also be used to submit a power of attorney in the application (or patent) to the registered practitioners associated with the Customer Number.”

Using a Customer Number simplifies making changes to correspondence addresses and practitioner information across multiple applications.

For more information on Correspondence Address, visit: Correspondence Address.

For more information on Customer Number, visit: Customer Number.

For more information on Fee Address, visit: Fee Address.

For more information on power of attorney, visit: power of attorney.

In pre-2012 patent applications, filing a new power of attorney can have significant effects on existing powers of attorney. MPEP 402.05(b) outlines several scenarios:

1. New power of attorney without explicit revocation: “When an original power of attorney is filed giving power of attorney to attorneys A, B, and C, and the same principal subsequently files another power of attorney, giving power of attorney to D without revoking all prior powers of attorney, the subsequently filed power of attorney will be treated as a revocation of the original power of attorney.”
2. Assignee filing new power of attorney: “If the applicant signed the original power of attorney, and an assignee of the entire interest of the applicant later takes action and files a new power of attorney, the original power of attorney is revoked and replaced by the power of attorney filed by the assignee.”
3. Change in Customer Number: “If a power of attorney is given to the practitioners associated with a Customer Number, and a (second) power of attorney is later received giving power of attorney to patent practitioners associated with a different Customer Number, the second power of attorney will be processed, with the first Customer Number being replaced with the second.”

In all these cases, the most recently filed power of attorney will control, effectively revoking or replacing the previous ones.

To learn more:

• power of attorney
• revocation
• pre-AIA
• customer number

When a new power of attorney is filed, it generally revokes all prior powers of attorney. MPEP 402.05(a) provides several scenarios:

• If a new power of attorney is filed without explicitly revoking prior ones, it will be treated as a revocation of the original power of attorney.
• If an assignee files a new power of attorney, it revokes and replaces the original power of attorney filed by the applicant.
• If a power of attorney is given to practitioners associated with a Customer Number, and a second power of attorney is later received for a different Customer Number, the second one will replace the first.

The MPEP states:

In all of these situations, the most recently filed power of attorney will control.

This means that the latest power of attorney filed will take precedence over any previously filed ones.

To learn more:

• power of attorney
• revocation
• new filing
• Customer Number