What information about patent applications can be disclosed to the public?

The USPTO can disclose limited information about patent applications to the public, as outlined in 37 CFR 1.14(a)(2):

• Whether the application is pending, abandoned, or patented
• Whether the application has been published
• The application’s numerical identifier
• Whether another application claims benefit of the application

This information can only be disclosed if the application is identified in a published patent document or in another application as specified in 37 CFR 1.14(a)(1)(i) through (a)(1)(vi).