How does the filing date of a CPA get determined?

The filing date of a Continued Prosecution Application (CPA) is determined by the date on which a proper request for a CPA is filed. Specifically, the MPEP states:

The filing date of a continued prosecution application is the date on which a request on a separate paper for an application under this paragraph is filed.

It’s important to note that the CPA request must be on a separate paper. If the request is not on a separate paper, it will not be considered a proper CPA request and will not receive a filing date.

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