How can an applicant schedule an interview with a patent examiner?
Applicants can schedule interviews with patent examiners through various methods, including telephone, in-person, and video conferencing. The USPTO encourages the use of the Automated Interview Request (AIR) Form for scheduling interviews.
According to MPEP 707: Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) Form at https://www.uspto.gov/patents/uspto-automated-interview-request-air-form.
Interviews can be beneficial for discussing the application, clarifying issues, and potentially advancing prosecution. The examiner may indicate in the Office Action if an interview might be helpful in placing the application in condition for allowance.
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