Can the original filing date be preserved for corrected documents?
Yes, the original filing date can be preserved for corrected documents under certain conditions. The MPEP states: “The returned papers, stamped with the original date of receipt by the Office, will be accompanied by a letter which will indicate that if the returned papers are corrected and resubmitted to the Office within the time specified in the letter, the Office will consider the original date of filing of the papers as the date of recording of the document.” This means that if you correct and resubmit the document within the specified timeframe, the USPTO will use the original filing date as the recording date.
Topics:
MPEP 300 - Ownership and Assignment,
MPEP 317 - Handling of Documents in the Assignment Division,
Patent Law,
Patent Procedure