What is the Common Citation Document website and how do examiners use it?

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.

The Common Citation Document website is a resource available to USPTO patent examiners for obtaining patent family information. According to MPEP 901.07:

Additionally, Examiners may utilize the Common Citation Document website accessible through the Examiner’s Toolkit to obtain patent family information.

This tool is part of the Examiner’s Toolkit, which provides various resources to assist examiners in their patent search and examination process. The Common Citation Document website likely allows examiners to view and compare citations and patent family information from multiple patent offices, enhancing the efficiency and thoroughness of their prior art searches.