What are the requirements for signing patent documents on behalf of juristic entities?

What are the requirements for signing patent documents on behalf of juristic entities?

The requirements for signing patent documents on behalf of juristic entities (such as corporations, universities, or other organizations) are specific and strict. According to MPEP 402.04:

“Effective September 16, 2012, any paper submitted on behalf of a juristic entity must be signed by a patent practitioner.”

This means that for juristic entities:

• All patent documents must be signed by a registered patent practitioner (either a patent attorney or a patent agent).
• Employees or officers of the juristic entity cannot sign patent documents, even if they are the inventors.
• The patent practitioner must be officially appointed to represent the juristic entity before the USPTO.

This requirement ensures that juristic entities are properly represented in patent matters and helps maintain the integrity of the patent application process. It’s important for juristic entities to work with qualified patent practitioners to handle their patent applications and related documents.

To learn more:

• juristic entities
• patent documents
• signing requirements
• patent practitioner