What is the ‘Office Date’ stamp and how is it used?
The ‘Office Date’ stamp is used by the USPTO to mark the receipt date of papers and fees. According to MPEP 505, The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office) stamps papers and fees received through the mail (other than those submitted by Priority Mail Express® in accordance with 37 CFR 1.10), by facsimile, or…
Read MoreHow does the USPTO handle Priority Mail Express® submissions?
Priority Mail Express® submissions to the USPTO are handled differently from regular mail. According to MPEP 505, New patent applications filed in accordance with 37 CFR 1.10 will be stamped by the Office with the date of deposit as Priority Mail Express® with the United States Postal Service. This means: The date of deposit with…
Read MoreHow are electronically filed patent applications date-stamped by the USPTO?
Electronically filed patent applications receive special treatment for date-stamping at the USPTO. According to MPEP 505, Correspondence submitted to the Office by way of the Office electronic filing system will be accorded a receipt date, which is the date the correspondence is received at the correspondence address for the Office set forth in § 1.1…
Read MoreWhat happens if a USPTO deadline falls on a weekend or holiday?
When a USPTO deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, the due date is automatically extended. According to MPEP 505, When the last day for taking any action or paying any fee in the Office falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or a Federal holiday within the District of Columbia, the action or the fee is…
Read MoreHow does the USPTO handle mail received on weekends or holidays?
The USPTO does not officially receive mail on weekends or federal holidays when the office is closed. Any correspondence received on these days is typically stamped with the next business day’s date. For example, if mail is delivered to the USPTO on a Saturday, it will be stamped with the following Monday’s date (or Tuesday…
Read MoreHow does the USPTO handle facsimile transmissions for dating purposes?
The USPTO has specific rules for dating facsimile transmissions. According to 37 CFR 1.6(a)(3): Correspondence transmitted by facsimile to the Patent and Trademark Office will be stamped with the date on which the complete transmission is received in the Patent and Trademark Office unless that date is a Saturday, Sunday, or Federal holiday within the…
Read MoreHow are electronically filed submissions dated by the USPTO?
The USPTO has specific rules for dating electronically filed submissions. According to 37 CFR 1.6(a)(4): Correspondence may be submitted using the Office electronic filing system only in accordance with the Office electronic filing system requirements. Correspondence submitted to the Office by way of the Office electronic filing system will be accorded a receipt date, which…
Read MoreWhat happens if the USPTO receives a document without a date of receipt stamp?
If the USPTO receives a document without a date of receipt stamp, the Office will assign the document a date of receipt based on other evidence. This may include: The date of receipt indicated on an Express Mail label The date of deposit indicated on a certificate of mailing The date of transmission indicated on…
Read MoreWhat happens if there’s a discrepancy between the USPTO’s date stamp and the date on the correspondence?
If there’s a discrepancy between the USPTO’s date stamp and the date on the correspondence, the USPTO’s date stamp is generally considered the official receipt date. However, if an applicant can provide clear evidence that the correspondence was received earlier than the date indicated by the USPTO’s stamp, the earlier date may be recognized as…
Read MoreWhat is the date of receipt stamp for USPTO correspondence?
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) stamps correspondence received with the date of receipt, known as the ‘Office Date’ stamp. This applies to papers and fees received through various methods: Mail (except Priority Mail Express®) Facsimile EFS-Web Hand-carried to the Customer Service Window As stated in the MPEP: The United States Patent and…
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