What are the requirements for submitting a “Computer Program Listing Appendix” in a patent application?
A “Computer Program Listing Appendix” must be submitted as an ASCII plain text file via the USPTO patent electronic filing system or on a read-only optical disc in compliance with 37 CFR 1.52(e). The file must have a .txt extension and meet the following requirements:
- Be compatible with PC or Mac computers and MS-DOS, MS-Windows, Mac OS, or Unix/Linux operating systems
- Use ASCII CRLF or LF line terminators
- Not be dependent on control characters outside the ASCII character set
- Not exceed 25 MB when submitted via the USPTO patent electronic filing system
Additionally, the specification must include an incorporation by reference statement for the appendix, as required by 37 CFR 1.77(b)(5).
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