Will U.S. patent application numbers be printed on a patent?
The printing of U.S. patent application numbers on a patent depends on how they are submitted and considered by the examiner. The MPEP states:
If a U.S. patent application number is listed on a PTO/SB/08 form or its equivalent and the examiner considers the information and initials the form, the application number will be printed on the patent.
However, applicants should be cautious about disclosing pending application numbers:
Applicants may wish to list U.S. patent application numbers on other than a form PTO/SB/08 format to avoid the application numbers of pending applications being published on the patent.
This guidance allows applicants to control whether pending application numbers are made public through the patent printing process.
To learn more: