How can patent examiners access previously abandoned application files or granted patents?

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.

Patent examiners can access previously abandoned application files or granted patents through different methods depending on the file format:

• For Image File Wrapper (IFW) files, examiners can view the application papers from their desktop via the Patent Examiner’s Toolkit.
• For non-IFW files, examiners use the File Ordering System (FOS) to request paper files stored at the Files Repository or remote warehouses.

As stated in the MPEP: If the patented or abandoned file is an Image File Wrapper (IFW) file, examiners can view the application papers from their desktop via the Patent Examiner’s Toolkit. For non-IFW files, Patented and abandoned files that are stored in paper are ordered by means of the File Ordering System (FOS).