What are the requirements for submitting a “Computer Program Listing Appendix” in a patent application?

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.

A “Computer Program Listing Appendix” must be submitted as an ASCII plain text file via the USPTO patent electronic filing system or on read-only optical discs if it exceeds 300 lines of code. The appendix must comply with the following requirements as per 37 CFR 1.96(c):

• Must be compatible with PC or Mac computers and MS-DOS, MS-Windows, Mac OS, or Unix/Linux operating systems
• Must use ASCII CRLF or LF line terminators
• Must not be dependent on control characters outside the ASCII character set
• File name must have a .txt extension
• Must not exceed 25 MB when submitted via the USPTO patent electronic filing system
• Must be incorporated by reference in the specification

These requirements ensure proper handling and accessibility of computer program listings in patent applications.