How does the USPTO handle submissions from foreign courts?
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has specific guidelines for handling submissions from foreign courts. According to MPEP 2207:
“It is to be further noted that 35 U.S.C. 290 is directed to ‘courts of the United States.’ Accordingly, any submission of papers from a court outside the United States (a foreign jurisdiction) will be returned, expunged or discarded, at the sole discretion of the Office.”
This means that the USPTO does not accept or enter submissions from foreign courts into patent files. Such submissions may be returned to the sender, expunged from the record if mistakenly entered, or discarded. This policy aligns with the U.S.-centric focus of 35 U.S.C. 290, which specifically addresses notices from courts within the United States.
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