How are Office actions mailed in reexamination proceedings?
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.
In reexamination proceedings, the USPTO has a specific process for mailing Office actions. MPEP 2233 describes the process as follows:
“A transmittal form with the requester’s address will be used to forward copies of Office actions (and any references cited in the Office actions) to the requester. Whenever an Office action is issued, a copy of this form will be made and attached to a copy of the Office action.“
This method streamlines the mailing process by eliminating the need to retype the requester’s address for each mailing. However, when the patent owner is the requester, no such form is needed.