How does the USPTO handle priority claims under PDX?

The USPTO treats a proper priority claim to an application filed in a participating foreign intellectual property office as a request to obtain a copy of the foreign application. According to MPEP 215.01:

The Office treats a proper priority claim under 37 CFR 1.55 to an application filed in a participating foreign intellectual property office as a request that the Office obtain a copy of the foreign application from the participating intellectual property office.

This means that applicants generally do not need to file a separate request for the USPTO to retrieve the priority document if it’s from a participating office.

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Topics: MPEP 200 - Types and Status of Application; Benefit and Priority, Patent Law, Patent Procedure
Tags: foreign applications, PDX, USPTO procedures