What are Abstracts and Abbreviatures in patent law?

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.

Abstracts and Abbreviatures are publications by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) related to abandoned patent applications. As stated in MPEP 901.06(d):

“Abstracts and Abbreviatures are U.S. Patent and Trademark Office publications of abandoned applications.”

These publications serve as a record of abandoned patent applications, providing information about inventions that were not pursued to the point of patent issuance.