How does the Patent and Trademark Office handle patent ownership disputes?

The Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) generally does not directly handle patent ownership disputes. According to MPEP 301:

The Patent and Trademark Office is not the forum for resolving patent ownership disputes. Such disputes are to be settled by the parties involved, outside the Patent and Trademark Office.

If there’s a dispute over ownership, the PTO will typically continue to recognize the owner of record until a court order or other legal document resolving the dispute is presented. Parties involved in ownership disputes should seek legal counsel and resolve the matter through appropriate legal channels.