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.

The Customer Number practice allows applicants to:

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

Using a Customer Number allows applicants to easily change the correspondence address, fee address, or list of practitioners for multiple applications or patents by simply changing the information associated with the Customer Number.

According to MPEP 403: “A Customer Number (previously a ‘Payor Number’) may be used to: (A) designate the correspondence address of a patent application or patent such that the correspondence address for the patent application or patent would be the address associated with the Customer Number (37 CFR 1.32(a)(5)(i)); (B) designate the fee address (37 CFR 1.363) of a patent such that the fee address for the patent would be the address associated with the Customer Number (37 CFR 1.32(a)(5)(ii)); and (C) submit a list of practitioners such that those practitioners associated with the Customer Number would have power of attorney (37 CFR 1.32(a)(5)(iii)).”

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.

The Customer Number practice allows applicants to:

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

Using a Customer Number allows applicants to easily change the correspondence address, fee address, or list of practitioners for multiple applications or patents by simply changing the information associated with the Customer Number.

According to MPEP 403: “A Customer Number (previously a ‘Payor Number’) may be used to: (A) designate the correspondence address of a patent application or patent such that the correspondence address for the patent application or patent would be the address associated with the Customer Number (37 CFR 1.32(a)(5)(i)); (B) designate the fee address (37 CFR 1.363) of a patent such that the fee address for the patent would be the address associated with the Customer Number (37 CFR 1.32(a)(5)(ii)); and (C) submit a list of practitioners such that those practitioners associated with the Customer Number would have power of attorney (37 CFR 1.32(a)(5)(iii)).”

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.

The Customer Number practice allows applicants to:

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

Using a Customer Number allows applicants to easily change the correspondence address, fee address, or list of practitioners for multiple applications or patents by simply changing the information associated with the Customer Number.

According to MPEP 403: “A Customer Number (previously a ‘Payor Number’) may be used to: (A) designate the correspondence address of a patent application or patent such that the correspondence address for the patent application or patent would be the address associated with the Customer Number (37 CFR 1.32(a)(5)(i)); (B) designate the fee address (37 CFR 1.363) of a patent such that the fee address for the patent would be the address associated with the Customer Number (37 CFR 1.32(a)(5)(ii)); and (C) submit a list of practitioners such that those practitioners associated with the Customer Number would have power of attorney (37 CFR 1.32(a)(5)(iii)).”

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.

The Customer Number practice allows applicants to:

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

Using a Customer Number allows applicants to easily change the correspondence address, fee address, or list of practitioners for multiple applications or patents by simply changing the information associated with the Customer Number.

According to MPEP 403: “A Customer Number (previously a ‘Payor Number’) may be used to: (A) designate the correspondence address of a patent application or patent such that the correspondence address for the patent application or patent would be the address associated with the Customer Number (37 CFR 1.32(a)(5)(i)); (B) designate the fee address (37 CFR 1.363) of a patent such that the fee address for the patent would be the address associated with the Customer Number (37 CFR 1.32(a)(5)(ii)); and (C) submit a list of practitioners such that those practitioners associated with the Customer Number would have power of attorney (37 CFR 1.32(a)(5)(iii)).”

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.