Patent Law FAQ
This FAQ answers all your questions about patent law, patent procedure, and the patent examination process.
Here’s the complete FAQ:
MPEP 200 - Types and Status of Application; Benefit and Priority (1)
The USPTO provides additional information about the Priority Document Exchange (PDX) program on its official website. According to the MPEP:
The Office website provides additional information concerning the priority document exchange program (www.uspto.gov/patents/basics/international-protection/electronic-priority-document-exchange-pdx).
This website includes important details such as:
- A list of intellectual property offices participating in the PDX program
- Information necessary for each participating foreign intellectual property office to provide the USPTO with access to foreign applications
Applicants and practitioners are encouraged to visit this resource for the most up-to-date information on the PDX program and its participants.
MPEP 215-Certified Copy of Foreign Application (1)
The USPTO provides additional information about the Priority Document Exchange (PDX) program on its official website. According to the MPEP:
The Office website provides additional information concerning the priority document exchange program (www.uspto.gov/patents/basics/international-protection/electronic-priority-document-exchange-pdx).
This website includes important details such as:
- A list of intellectual property offices participating in the PDX program
- Information necessary for each participating foreign intellectual property office to provide the USPTO with access to foreign applications
Applicants and practitioners are encouraged to visit this resource for the most up-to-date information on the PDX program and its participants.
MPEP 300 - Ownership and Assignment (1)
The USPTO makes assignment records accessible to the public in several ways, as described in 37 CFR 1.12:
- Separate assignment records for patents and trademarks are maintained and are open to public inspection.
- Assignment records, digests, and indexes for patents are available on the USPTO website.
- Images of assignment documents recorded from June 1998 onwards are viewable on the Office website.
- For earlier records, the public can place an order to view images.
The MPEP notes: ‘The Office will not open only certain parts of an assignment document to public inspection. If such a document contains two or more items, any one of which, if alone, would be open to such inspection, then the entire document will be open.’
However, documents relating only to pending unpublished applications are not open to public inspection.
MPEP 301-Ownership/Assignability of Patents and Applications (1)
The USPTO makes assignment records accessible to the public in several ways, as described in 37 CFR 1.12:
- Separate assignment records for patents and trademarks are maintained and are open to public inspection.
- Assignment records, digests, and indexes for patents are available on the USPTO website.
- Images of assignment documents recorded from June 1998 onwards are viewable on the Office website.
- For earlier records, the public can place an order to view images.
The MPEP notes: ‘The Office will not open only certain parts of an assignment document to public inspection. If such a document contains two or more items, any one of which, if alone, would be open to such inspection, then the entire document will be open.’
However, documents relating only to pending unpublished applications are not open to public inspection.
Patent Law (2)
The USPTO provides additional information about the Priority Document Exchange (PDX) program on its official website. According to the MPEP:
The Office website provides additional information concerning the priority document exchange program (www.uspto.gov/patents/basics/international-protection/electronic-priority-document-exchange-pdx).
This website includes important details such as:
- A list of intellectual property offices participating in the PDX program
- Information necessary for each participating foreign intellectual property office to provide the USPTO with access to foreign applications
Applicants and practitioners are encouraged to visit this resource for the most up-to-date information on the PDX program and its participants.
The USPTO makes assignment records accessible to the public in several ways, as described in 37 CFR 1.12:
- Separate assignment records for patents and trademarks are maintained and are open to public inspection.
- Assignment records, digests, and indexes for patents are available on the USPTO website.
- Images of assignment documents recorded from June 1998 onwards are viewable on the Office website.
- For earlier records, the public can place an order to view images.
The MPEP notes: ‘The Office will not open only certain parts of an assignment document to public inspection. If such a document contains two or more items, any one of which, if alone, would be open to such inspection, then the entire document will be open.’
However, documents relating only to pending unpublished applications are not open to public inspection.
Patent Procedure (2)
The USPTO provides additional information about the Priority Document Exchange (PDX) program on its official website. According to the MPEP:
The Office website provides additional information concerning the priority document exchange program (www.uspto.gov/patents/basics/international-protection/electronic-priority-document-exchange-pdx).
This website includes important details such as:
- A list of intellectual property offices participating in the PDX program
- Information necessary for each participating foreign intellectual property office to provide the USPTO with access to foreign applications
Applicants and practitioners are encouraged to visit this resource for the most up-to-date information on the PDX program and its participants.
The USPTO makes assignment records accessible to the public in several ways, as described in 37 CFR 1.12:
- Separate assignment records for patents and trademarks are maintained and are open to public inspection.
- Assignment records, digests, and indexes for patents are available on the USPTO website.
- Images of assignment documents recorded from June 1998 onwards are viewable on the Office website.
- For earlier records, the public can place an order to view images.
The MPEP notes: ‘The Office will not open only certain parts of an assignment document to public inspection. If such a document contains two or more items, any one of which, if alone, would be open to such inspection, then the entire document will be open.’
However, documents relating only to pending unpublished applications are not open to public inspection.