What happens if insufficient information is provided with a maintenance fee payment?
If insufficient information is provided with a maintenance fee payment, the USPTO may take certain actions. According to MPEP 2515:
“If the payment includes identification of only the patent number (i.e., does not identify the application number of the United States application for the patent on which the maintenance fee is being paid), the Office may apply the payment to the patent identified by patent number in the payment or may return the payment.“
It’s important to note that while some information is required, other details are strongly recommended to expedite processing. If the payment is not accepted, it will be returned to the submitter if a return address is provided. The USPTO may also attempt to contact the payor if there’s any confusion about which patent the fees should be applied to.
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