Can an officer of an assignee corporation sign a micro entity certification?
This page is an FAQ based on guidance from the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only: it is not legal advice.
No, an officer of an assignee corporation is not authorized to sign a certification of micro entity status. According to MPEP 509.04(c):
“If any applicant is an assignee or other party under 37 CFR 1.46, and the assignee or other party is a corporation or organization rather than a person, a registered practitioner must sign the certification of micro entity status. An officer of the assignee corporation, for example, is not authorized to sign a certification of micro entity status.”
This means that for corporate assignees, only a registered patent practitioner can sign the micro entity certification.