What are the requirements for faxed assignment documents to be recorded at the USPTO?

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.

For faxed assignment documents to be recorded at the USPTO, they must meet the following requirements:

• The document must be legible and capable of being reproduced in legible form.
• The fax must include a cover sheet with the sender’s name, address, and telephone number.
• Payment of the recording fee must be included or authorized.
• The fax should be sent to the specific fax number designated for assignment submissions.

As stated in MPEP 302.09: “The date of receipt accorded to an assignment document sent to the Office by facsimile transmission is the date the complete transmission is received in the Office.” This means that the fax transmission must be complete and received by the USPTO to be considered officially submitted.