Who signs a patent office action?

The signing of patent office actions follows a specific protocol as outlined in MPEP 707.08. The key points are:

1. The full surname of the examiner who prepares the Office action is typed at the end of the action.
2. If the preparing examiner has the authority to sign the action, they will do so.
3. If the preparing examiner does not have signing authority, the MPEP states: “If this examiner does not have the authority to sign the action, they should initial as appropriate, and forward the action to the authorized signatory examiner for signing.”

This process ensures that while junior examiners may prepare actions, a more experienced examiner with signing authority reviews and takes responsibility for the final content of the office action.

To learn more:

• Patent office action
• Examiner signature
• USPTO procedure
• Patent examination