mpep.uspto.govMPEP - USPTO's Manual of Patent Examining Procedure

Help Public Quick Reference Guide Public User Manual Switch Version E8r8 e8r9 E9_R-11.2013 E9_R-07.2015 E9_R-08.2017. E9_R-10.2019 E9_R-07.2022 (Current) Index FPs Operator ADJ AND OR Snippet: Short Long Sort : Relevance Section order List: 10 25 50 75 100 Manual of Patent Examining Procedure Latest Revision February 2023 [R-07.2022] Search Results HighlightsHighlights Search Hits Snippet Short Long Sort by Relevance Section order List 10 25 50 75 100 Saved Search Name Cancel or SaveNotes Show Notes Icon in Results ᐊ - Change Summary - Foreword ᐅ - Title Page E8r8 e8r9 E9_R-11.2013 E9_R-07.2015 E9_R-08.2017. E9_R-10.2019 E9_R-07.2022 (Current) Manual of PATENT EXAMINING PROCEDURE Manual of PATENT EXAMINING PROCEDURE Original Ninth Edition, March 2014 Latest Revision February 2023 [R-07.2022] ▫▫▫▫▫ ▫▫▫▫▫ ▫▫▫▫▫ U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ▫▫▫▫▫ ▫▫▫▫▫ United States Patent and Trademark Office AVAILABILITY The paperbound format of the Manual was discontinued by the Government Publishing Office effective December 13, 2012. The Manual is available electronically in html and PDF renderings on the USPTO website at www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/ . The Office also provides a search engine for searching the full text of the Manual at https://mpep.uspto.gov/RDMS . ▫▫▫▫▫ Most hyperlinks from the Manual to internal and external websites are active. For particularly long website addresses (URLs), an extra space has been added to the rendered text for readability (especially in the PDF rendering). Clicking on a hyperlink will direct the user to the referenced website because the reference link data in the source document includes the URL without the extra space; however, copying text that includes the extra space and thereafter pasting it in a browser will result in an error. ▫▫▫▫▫ Previous editions and revisions of the Manual are available from the Archives page on the USPTO website at www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/old/index.htm . EXPLANATION OF NOTATIONS Revision Date Indicator. Each section within an Chapter includes a revision date indicator, e.g., [R-10.2019]. The numbers within the bracket indicate the date the revision cycle for that section was completed, which would be October 2019 in the example above. Note that the publication date of the Manual as indicated on the title page and on the bottom of the PDF renderings may be later than the date the revision cycle was completed because of the time required for clearance processes. ▫▫▫▫▫ "Pre-AIA." Where the phrase "pre-AIA" is associated with a law or rule, it means that version which was in force before the date of the change necessitated by the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA), Public Law 112-29, 125 Stat. 284. ▫▫▫▫▫ "Pre-PLT" or pre-PLT (AIA)." Where the phrase "pre-PLT" or "pre-PLT (AIA)" is associated with a law or rule, it means that version which was in force before the date of the change necessitated by the Patent Law Treaties Implementation Act of 2012, Title II (Patent Law Treaty Implementation (PLT)), Public Law 112-211, 126 Stat. 1527 (Dec. 18, 2012). Note that the "pre-PLT (AIA)" designation is used when there is also a "pre-AIA" version of the law or rule that still has applicability in limited circumstances. ▫▫▫▫▫ Five Asterisks. The use of five asterisks in the body of the laws, rules, treaties, and administrative instructions indicates a portion of the law, rule, treaty, or administrative instruction which was not reproduced. ▫▫▫▫▫ ▫▫▫▫▫ ▫▫▫▫▫ First Edition November 1949 Second Edition November 1953 Third Edition November 1961 Fourth Edition June 1979 Fifth Edition August 1983 Sixth Edition January 1995 Seventh Edition July 1998 Eighth Edition August 2001 ▫▫▫▫Final Revision August 2012 Ninth Edition March 2014 ▫[R-11.2013] ▫▫▫▫Revised October 2015 ▫[R-07.2015] ▫▫▫▫Revised November 2015 ▫[R-07.2015] ▫▫▫▫Revised January 2018 ▫[R-08.2017] ▫▫▫▫Revised June 2020 ▫[R-10.2019] ▫▫▫▫Revised February 2023 ▫[R-07.2022] ᐊ - Change Summary - Foreword ᐅ - Title Page-Top...