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

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 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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