What is the role of the Office of Patent Application Processing (OPAP) in handling new design and plant patent applications?
The Office of Patent Application Processing (OPAP) plays a crucial initial role in handling new design and plant patent applications at the USPTO. As detailed in MPEP 909.02(a):
“New nonprovisional design and plant applications are assigned to Technology Centers (TCs) 2900 and 1600, respectively, in the first instance by the Office of Patent Application Processing (OPAP).”
OPAP is responsible for the initial processing of these applications, which includes reviewing them for completeness, assigning application numbers, and directing them to the appropriate Technology Centers for examination. This ensures that applications are routed efficiently to the correct specialized examiners.
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