What types of petitions are decided by the Deputy Commissioner who oversees the Office of Petitions?

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 Deputy Commissioner who oversees the Office of Petitions or assigned staff in the Office of Petitions, the Office of Patent Legal Administration, and the MPEP Staff Office decide on various types of petitions, including:

• Petitions to revive abandoned applications
• Petitions for waiver or suspension of rules
• Petitions to invoke supervisory authority
• Petitions for unintentionally delayed priority claims
• Petitions related to issuance of patents
• Petitions for withdrawal of attorney or agent of record
• Petitions to review refusal to accept maintenance fee payments
• Petitions to accept unintentionally delayed maintenance fee payments

These are just a few examples from the extensive list provided in MPEP 1002.02(b).