What is the difference between correcting a cover sheet and correcting an actual assignment document?

The process for correcting errors differs depending on whether the error is in the cover sheet or the actual assignment document:

  • Cover sheet corrections: These are for errors in the recorded data only, not in the assignment document itself. You can submit a corrective document referencing the reel and frame number of the original recording.
  • Assignment document corrections: For errors in the actual assignment document, you must record a new corrective document, which can be a new assignment or another document that corrects the original.

MPEP 323 states: “Errors in the assignment document itself cannot be corrected simply by submitting a new cover sheet.” This emphasizes the need for a new recorded document for substantive errors.

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Topics: MPEP 300 - Ownership and Assignment, MPEP 323 - Procedures for Correcting Errors in Recorded Assignment Document, Patent Law, Patent Procedure
Tags: USPTO