What are the key components for citing patent documents in international search reports?
Source: FAQ (MPEP-Based)BlueIron Update: 2024-09-27
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.
When citing patent documents in international search reports, examiners must include several key components as per MPEP 1851:
- The two-letter country code of the issuing or publishing entity
- The standard code identifying the kind of patent document
- The document number
- The name of the patentee or applicant
- The publication date
- Relevant page numbers, columns, lines, or paragraph numbers
For example:
“JP 10-105775 A (NCR INTERNATIONAL INC.) 24 April 1998 (24.04.1998) paragraphs 26 to 30.”