What is the E-Patent Reference program and how does it affect citation practices?

The E-Patent Reference program is an initiative by the USPTO to provide electronic access to cited U.S. patent references in Office Actions. As noted in MPEP 707.05(g): The USPTO ceased mailing paper copies of U.S. patents and U.S. application publications cited in Office Actions in nonprovisional applications beginning in June 2004. This program has significantly…

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