What happens if an applicant fails to take appropriate action during patent prosecution?

If an applicant fails to take appropriate action during the prosecution of a nonprovisional patent application, it can result in the application being considered abandoned. MPEP 203.05 specifically states that an abandoned application includes one removed from the Office docket through failure of applicant to take appropriate action at some stage in the prosecution of a nonprovisional application. This could include failing to respond to office actions, missing deadlines, or not providing requested information or documents.