37 CFR Part 1 — Rules of Practice in Patent Cases
390 provisions with full text from the MPEP’s Appendix R, at the same pinned revision as the manual. 240 are cited by a structured MPEP section so far, 8,105 mentions in all; the rest are served ahead of the chapters that cite them being annotated.
Provisions
390 · cited by §§ · mentions- 1.1Addresses for non-trademark correspondence with the United States Patent and Trademark Office4 §§10
- 1.2Business to be transacted in writing6 §§6
- 1.3Business to be conducted with decorum and courtesy4 §§6
- 1.4Nature of correspondence and signature requirements27 §§102
- 1.5Identification of patent, patent application, or patent-related proceeding6 §§7
- 1.6Receipt of correspondence29 §§77
- 1.7Times for taking action; Expiration on Saturday, Sunday or Federal holiday12 §§18
- 1.8Certificate of mailing or transmission34 §§111
- 1.9Definitions7 §§11
- 1.10Filing of correspondence by Priority Mail Express ®36 §§130
- 1.11Files open to the public19 §§32
- 1.12Assignment records open to public inspection1 §§3
- 1.13Copies and certified copies—
- 1.14Patent applications preserved in confidence22 §§44
- 1.15[Reserved]—
- 1.16National application filing, search, and examination fees44 §§195
- 1.17Patent application and reexamination processing fees95 §§252
- 1.18Patent post allowance (including issue) fees13 §§27
- 1.19Document supply fees16 §§21
- 1.20Post-issuance fees15 §§29
- 1.21Miscellaneous fees and charges9 §§17
- 1.22Fees payable in advance1 §§2
- 1.23Methods of payment2 §§7
- 1.24[Reserved]—
- 1.25Deposit accounts5 §§10
- 1.26Refunds7 §§16
- 1.27Definition of small entities and establishing status as a small entity to permit payment of small entity fees; when a determination of entitlement to small entity status and notification of loss of entitlement to small entity status are required; fraud on the Office13 §§75
- 1.28Refunds when small entity status is later established; how errors in small entity status are excused6 §§28
- 1.29Micro entity status10 §§100
- 1.31Applicant may be represented by one or more patent practitioners or joint inventors7 §§8
- 1.32Power of attorney21 §§41
- 1.33Correspondence respecting patent applications, reexamination proceedings, and other proceedings44 §§109
- 1.34Acting in a representative capacity25 §§41
- 1.36Revocation of power of attorney; withdrawal of patent attorney or agent4 §§9
- 1.41Inventorship20 §§39
- 1.42Applicant for patent21 §§34
- 1.43Application for patent by a legal representative of a deceased or legally incapacitated inventor14 §§23
- 1.44[Reserved]—
- 1.45Application for patent by joint inventors12 §§20
- 1.46Application for patent by an assignee, obligated assignee, or a person who otherwise shows sufficient proprietary interest in the matter25 §§117
- 1.47[Reserved]25 §§68
- 1.48Correction of inventorship pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 116 or correction of the name or order of names in a patent application, other than a reissue application26 §§107
- 1.51General requisites of an application16 §§40
- 1.52Language, paper, writing, margins, read-only optical disc specifications28 §§116
- 1.53Application number, filing date, and completion of application88 §§415
- 1.54Parts of application to be filed together; filing receipt3 §§3
- 1.55Claim for foreign priority46 §§260
- 1.56Duty to disclose information material to patentability51 §§117
- 1.57Incorporation by reference17 §§156
- 1.58Chemical and mathematical formulas and tables7 §§38
- 1.59Expungement of information or copy of papers in application file11 §§19
- 1.60[Reserved]3 §§7
- 1.61[Reserved]—
- 1.62[Reserved]1 §§6
- 1.63Inventor’s oath or declaration78 §§225
- 1.64Substitute statement in lieu of an oath or declaration36 §§77
- 1.66Statements under oath3 §§6
- 1.67Supplemental oath or declaration9 §§26
- 1.68Declaration in lieu of oath8 §§11
- 1.69Foreign language oaths and declarations2 §§2
- 1.70[Reserved]—
- 1.71Detailed description and specification of the invention17 §§55
- 1.72Title and abstract8 §§10
- 1.73Summary of the invention1 §§1
- 1.74Reference to drawings—
- 1.75Claim(s)17 §§25
- 1.76Application data sheet55 §§194
- 1.77Arrangement of application elements13 §§26
- 1.78Claiming benefit of earlier filing date and cross-references to other applications53 §§285
- 1.79[Reserved]—
- 1.81Drawings required in patent application8 §§13
- 1.83Content of drawing2 §§2
- 1.84Standards for drawings23 §§58
- 1.85Corrections to drawings2 §§2
- 1.88[Reserved]—
- 1.91Models or exhibits not generally admitted as part of application or patent7 §§13
- 1.92[Reserved]—
- 1.93Specimens—
- 1.94Return of models, exhibits or specimens1 §§1
- 1.95Copies of exhibits—
- 1.96Submission of computer program listings9 §§33
- 1.97Filing of information disclosure statement45 §§151
- 1.98Content of information disclosure statement28 §§94
- 1.99[Reserved]—
- 1.101[Reserved]—
- 1.102Advancement of examination9 §§35
- 1.103Suspension of action by the Office11 §§45
- 1.104Nature of examination28 §§41
- 1.105Requirements for information27 §§64
- 1.106[Reserved]—
- 1.107[Reserved]—
- 1.108[Reserved]—
- 1.109Effective filing date of a claimed invention under the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act—
- 1.110Inventorship and ownership of the subject matter of individual claims1 §§1
- 1.111Reply by applicant or patent owner to a non-final Office action39 §§82
- 1.112Reconsideration before final action4 §§5
- 1.113Final rejection or action12 §§23
- 1.114Request for continued examination46 §§136
- 1.115Preliminary amendments12 §§25
- 1.116Amendments and affidavits or other evidence after final action and prior to appeal36 §§65
- 1.117[Reserved]—
- 1.118[Reserved]—
- 1.119[Reserved]—
- 1.121Manner of making amendments in applications42 §§117
- 1.122[Reserved]—
- 1.123[Reserved]—
- 1.124[Reserved]—
- 1.125Substitute specification12 §§26
- 1.126Numbering of claims1 §§1
- 1.127[Reserved]—
- 1.129Transitional procedures for limited examination after final rejection and restriction practice3 §§43
- 1.130Affidavit or declaration of attribution or prior public disclosure under the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act49 §§155
- 1.131Affidavit or declaration of prior invention or to disqualify commonly owned patent or published application as prior art53 §§180
- 1.132Affidavits or declarations traversing rejections or objections41 §§83
- 1.133Interviews4 §§4
- 1.134Time period for reply to an Office action4 §§5
- 1.135Abandonment for failure to reply within time period20 §§47
- 1.136Extensions of time63 §§179
- 1.137Revival of abandoned application, or terminated or limited reexamination prosecution18 §§111
- 1.138Express abandonment13 §§40
- 1.139[Reserved]1 §§1
- 1.141Different inventions in one national application11 §§14
- 1.142Requirement for restriction10 §§11
- 1.143Reconsideration of requirement7 §§8
- 1.144Petition from requirement for restriction9 §§14
- 1.145Subsequent presentation of claims for different invention4 §§5
- 1.146Election of species5 §§5
- 1.151Rules applicable1 §§1
- 1.152Design drawings2 §§2
- 1.153Title, description and claim, oath or declaration3 §§4
- 1.154Arrangement of application elements in a design application1 §§1
- 1.155Expedited examination of design applications3 §§7
- 1.161Rules applicable—
- 1.162Applicant, oath or declaration4 §§6
- 1.163Specification and arrangement of application elements in a plant application—
- 1.164Claim—
- 1.165Plant Drawings1 §§1
- 1.166Specimens1 §§1
- 1.167Examination—
- 1.171Application for reissue3 §§3
- 1.172Reissue applicant9 §§22
- 1.173Reissue specification, drawings, and amendments10 §§45
- 1.174[Reserved]—
- 1.175Inventor’s oath or declaration for a reissue application17 §§73
- 1.176Examination of reissue9 §§13
- 1.177Issuance of multiple reissue patents4 §§9
- 1.178Original patent; continuing duty of applicant7 §§8
- 1.179[Reserved]—
- 1.181Petition to the Director23 §§35
- 1.182Questions not specifically provided for27 §§60
- 1.183Suspension of rules23 §§33
- 1.184[Reserved]—
- 1.191Appeal to Patent Trial and Appeal Board—
- 1.192[Reserved]—
- 1.193[Reserved]—
- 1.194[Reserved]—
- 1.195[Reserved]—
- 1.196(b)[Reserved]1 §§1
- 1.197Termination of proceedings3 §§3
- 1.198Reopening after a final decision of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board3 §§4
- 1.211Publication of applications9 §§17
- 1.213Nonpublication request5 §§14
- 1.215Patent application publication5 §§12
- 1.217Publication of a redacted copy of an application3 §§4
- 1.219Early publication3 §§3
- 1.221Voluntary publication or republication of patent application publication7 §§21
- 1.248Service of papers; manner of service; proof of service in cases other than interferences and trials2 §§4
- 1.251Unlocatable file2 §§26
- 1.290Submissions by third parties in applications6 §§18
- 1.291Protests by the public against pending applications22 §§108
- 1.292[Reserved]1 §§1
- pre-AIA 37 CFR 1.293(c)[Reserved]1 §§1
- 1.294[Reserved]—
- 1.295[Reserved]—
- 1.296[Reserved]—
- 1.297 (pre-2013-03-16)[Reserved]—
- 1.301[Reserved]—
- 1.302[Reserved]—
- 1.303[Reserved]—
- 1.304[Reserved]—
- 1.311Notice of Allowance10 §§13
- 1.312Amendments after allowance26 §§76
- 1.313Withdrawal from issue15 §§49
- 1.314Issuance of patent4 §§9
- 1.315[Removed and Reserved]—
- 1.316Application abandoned for failure to pay issue fee2 §§2
- 1.317[Reserved]—
- 1.318[Reserved]—
- 1.321Statutory disclaimers, including terminal disclaimers23 §§73
- 1.322Certificate of correction of Office mistake5 §§8
- 1.323Certificate of correction of applicant’s mistake18 §§33
- 1.324Correction of inventorship in patent, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 2565 §§23
- 1.325Other mistakes not corrected—
- 1.331[Reserved]—
- 1.332[Reserved]—
- 1.333[Reserved]—
- 1.334[Reserved]—
- 1.335Filing of notice of arbitration awards—
- 1.351[Reserved]—
- 1.352[Reserved]—
- 1.362Time for payment of maintenance fees7 §§27
- 1.363Fee address for maintenance fee purposes4 §§6
- 1.366Submission of maintenance fees9 §§21
- 1.377Review of decision refusing to accept and record payment of a maintenance fee filed prior to expiration of patent4 §§12
- 1.378Acceptance of delayed payment of maintenance fee in expired patent to reinstate patent9 §§19
- 1.401Definitions of terms under the Patent Cooperation Treaty1 §§1
- 1.412(a)The United States Receiving Office2 §§3
- 1.413The United States International Searching Authority1 §§1
- 1.414The United States Patent and Trademark Office as a Designated Office or Elected Office—
- 1.415The International Bureau—
- 1.416The United States International Preliminary Examining Authority2 §§2
- 1.417Submission of translation of international publication2 §§2
- 1.419Display of currently valid control number under the Paperwork Reduction Act—
- 1.421Applicant for international application2 §§2
- 1.422Legal representative as applicant in an international application1 §§1
- 1.423[Reserved]—
- 1.424Assignee, obligated assignee, or person having sufficient proprietary interest as applicant in an international application—
- 1.425[Reserved]—
- 1.431International application requirements2 §§2
- 1.432Designation of States by filing an international application1 §§1
- 1.433(a)Physical requirements of international application1 §§1
- 1.434The request—
- 1.435The description—
- 1.436The claims1 §§1
- 1.437The drawings2 §§2
- 1.438The abstract—
- 1.445(a)(4)International application filing, processing and search fees6 §§8
- 1.446Refund of international application filing and processing fees1 §§4
- 1.451The priority claim and priority document in an international application1 §§2
- 1.452Restoration of right of priority—
- 1.453Transmittal of documents relating to earlier search or classification—
- 1.455Representation in international applications—
- 1.461Procedures for transmittal of record copy to the International Bureau—
- 1.465Timing of application processing based on the priority date1 §§1
- 1.468Delays in meeting time limits—
- 1.471Corrections and amendments during international processing—
- 1.472Changes in person, name, or address of applicants and inventors—
- 1.475Unity of invention before the International Searching Authority, the International Preliminary Examining Authority and during the national stage6 §§14
- 1.476(c)Determination of unity of invention before the International Searching Authority1 §§2
- 1.477Protest to lack of unity of invention before the International Searching Authority2 §§2
- 1.480Demand for international preliminary examination—
- 1.481Payment of international preliminary examination fees1 §§6
- 1.482International preliminary examination and processing fees3 §§4
- 1.484Conduct of international preliminary examination2 §§3
- 1.485Amendments by applicant during international preliminary examination1 §§1
- 1.488Determination of unity of invention before the International Preliminary Examining Authority2 §§3
- 1.489Protest to lack of unity of invention before the International Preliminary Examining Authority—
- 1.491National stage commencement, entry, and fulfillment13 §§15
- 1.492National stage fees14 §§35
- 1.494[Reserved]1 §§1
- 1.495Entering the national stage in the United States of America20 §§50
- 1.496Examination of international applications in the national stage1 §§1
- 1.497Inventor’s oath or declaration under 35 U.S.C. 371(c)(4)5 §§19
- 1.499Unity of invention during the national stage3 §§3
- 1.501Citation of prior art and written statements in patent files5 §§15
- 1.502Processing of prior art citations during an ex parte reexamination proceeding—
- 1.510Request for ex parte reexamination6 §§6
- 1.515Determination of the request for ex parte reexamination—
- 1.520Ex parte reexamination at the initiative of the Director—
- 1.525Order for ex parte reexamination2 §§3
- 1.530Statement by patent owner in ex parte reexamination; amendment by patent owner in ex parte or inter partes reexamination; inventorship change in ex parte or inter partes reexamination2 §§4
- 1.535Reply by third party requester in ex parte reexamination—
- 1.540Consideration of responses in ex parte reexamination—
- 1.550(c)Conduct of ex parte reexamination proceedings12 §§12
- 1.552(c)Scope of reexamination in ex parte reexamination proceedings1 §§1
- 1.555Information material to patentability in ex parte reexamination and inter partes reexamination proceedings8 §§16
- 1.560Interviews in ex parte reexamination proceedings—
- 1.565(d)Concurrent office proceedings which include an ex parte reexamination proceeding1 §§3
- 1.570Issuance and publication of ex parte reexamination certificate concludes ex parte reexamination proceeding6 §§6
- 1.601Filing of papers in supplemental examination2 §§2
- 1.605Items of information—
- 1.610Content of request for supplemental examination1 §§1
- 1.615Format of papers filed in a supplemental examination proceeding—
- 1.620(g)Conduct of supplemental examination proceeding1 §§1
- 1.625Conclusion of supplemental examination; publication of supplemental examination certificate; procedure after conclusion3 §§3
- 1.701Extension of patent term due to examination delay under the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (original applications, other than designs, filed on or after June 8, 1995, and before May 29, 2000)5 §§10
- 1.702Grounds for adjustment of patent term due to examination delay under the Patent Term Guarantee Act of 1999 (original applications, other than designs, filed on or after May 29, 2000)6 §§47
- 1.703Period of adjustment of patent term due to examination delay6 §§102
- 1.704Reduction of period of adjustment of patent term13 §§299
- 1.705Patent term adjustment determination7 §§69
- 1.710Patents subject to extension of the patent term1 §§2
- 1.720Conditions for extension of patent term2 §§6
- 1.730Applicant for extension of patent term; signature requirements—
- 1.740Formal requirements for application for extension of patent term; correction of informalities5 §§27
- 1.741Complete application given a filing date; petition procedure3 §§7
- 1.750Determination of eligibility for extension of patent term5 §§8
- 1.760Interim extension of patent term under 35 U.S.C. 156(e)(2)2 §§4
- 1.765Duty of disclosure in patent term extension proceedings4 §§5
- 1.770Express withdrawal of application for extension of patent term—
- 1.775Calculation of patent term extension for a human drug, antibiotic drug, or human biological product1 §§3
- 1.776Calculation of patent term extension for a food additive or color additive1 §§1
- 1.777Calculation of patent term extension for a medical device1 §§1
- 1.778Calculation of patent term extension for an animal drug product1 §§1
- 1.779Calculation of patent term extension for a veterinary biological product1 §§3
- 1.780Certificate or order of extension of patent term—
- 1.785Multiple applications for extension of term of the same patent or of different patents for the same regulatory review period for a product2 §§2
- 1.790Interim extension of patent term under 35 U.S.C. 156(d)(5)2 §§3
- 1.791Termination of interim extension granted prior to regulatory approval of a product for commercial marketing or use1 §§1
- 1.801Biological material1 §§3
- 1.802Need or opportunity to make a deposit—
- 1.803Acceptable depository—
- 1.804Time of making an original deposit1 §§2
- 1.805Replacement or supplement of deposit—
- 1.806Term of deposit—
- 1.807Viability of deposit—
- 1.808Furnishing of samples—
- 1.809Examination procedures1 §§1
- 1.821Nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence disclosures in patent applications14 §§67
- 1.822Symbols and format to be used for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence data—
- 1.823Requirements for content of a “Sequence Listing” part of the specification—
- 1.824Form and format for a nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence submissions as an ASCII plain text file2 §§3
- 1.825Amendments to add or replace a “Sequence Listing” and CRF copy thereof8 §§22
- 1.831Requirements for patent applications filed on or after July 1, 2022, having nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence disclosures12 §§26
- 1.832Representation of nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence data in the “Sequence Listing XML” part of a patent application filed on or after July 1, 2022—
- 1.833Requirements for a “Sequence Listing XML” for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequences as part of a patent application filed on or after July 1, 2022—
- 1.834Form and format for nucleotide and/ or amino acid sequence submissions as the ‘‘Sequence Listing XML’’ in patent applications filed on or after July 1, 20222 §§4
- 1.835Amendment to add or replace a “Sequence Listing XML” in patent applications filed on or after July 1, 20227 §§21
- 1.839Incorporation by reference1 §§1
- 1.902Processing of prior art citations during an inter partes reexamination proceeding1 §§1
- 1.903Service of papers on parties in inter partes reexamination—
- 1.904Notice of inter partes reexamination in Official Gazette—
- 1.905Submission of papers by the public in inter partes reexamination—
- 1.906Scope of reexamination in inter partes reexamination proceeding—
- 1.907Inter partes reexamination prohibited—
- 1.913Persons eligible to file, and time for filing, a request for inter partes reexamination108 §§108
- 1.915Content of request for inter partes reexamination—
- 1.919Filing date of request for inter partes reexamination—
- 1.923Examiner’s determination on the request for inter partes reexamination—
- 1.925Partial refund if request for inter partes reexamination is not ordered—
- 1.927Petition to review refusal to order inter partes reexamination—
- 1.931Order for inter partes reexamination1 §§2
- 1.933Patent owner duty of disclosure in inter partes reexamination proceedings—
- 1.935Initial Office action usually accompanies order for inter partes reexamination—
- 1.937Conduct of inter partes reexamination1 §§1
- 1.939Unauthorized papers in inter partes reexamination—
- 1.941Amendments by patent owner in inter partes reexamination—
- 1.943Requirements of responses, written comments, and briefs in inter partes reexamination—
- 1.945Response to Office action by patent owner in inter partes reexamination1 §§1
- 1.947Comments by third party requester to patent owner’s response in inter partes reexamination—
- 1.948Limitations on submission of prior art by third party requester following the order for inter partes reexamination—
- 1.949Examiner’s Office action closing prosecution in inter partes reexamination1 §§1
- 1.951Options after Office action closing prosecution in inter partes reexamination—
- 1.953Examiner’s Right of Appeal Notice in inter partes reexamination1 §§1
- 1.955Interviews prohibited in inter partes reexamination proceedings—
- 1.956Patent owner extensions of time in inter partes reexamination1 §§1
- 1.957Failure to file a timely, appropriate or complete response or comment in inter partes reexamination—
- 1.958Petition to revive inter partes reexamination prosecution terminated for lack of patent owner response—
- 1.959Appeal in inter partes reexamination—
- 1.961- 1.977 [Reserved]—
- 1.979Return of Jurisdiction from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board; termination of appeal proceedings—
- 1.981Reopening after a final decision of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board—
- 1.983Appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in inter partes reexamination—
- 1.985(a)Notification of prior or concurrent proceedings in inter partes reexamination1 §§2
- 1.987Suspension of inter partes reexamination proceeding due to litigation—
- 1.989Merger of concurrent reexamination proceedings—
- 1.991Merger of concurrent reissue application and inter partes reexamination proceeding1 §§1
- 1.993Suspension of concurrent interference and inter partes reexamination proceeding—
- 1.995Third party requester’s participation rights preserved in merged proceeding—
- 1.997(d)Issuance and publication of inter partes reexamination certificate concludes inter partes reexamination proceeding1 §§1
- 1.1001Definitions related to international design applications—
- 1.1002The United States Patent and Trademark Office as an office of indirect filing—
- 1.1003The United States Patent and Trademark Office as a designated office—
- 1.1004The International Bureau—
- 1.1005Display of currently valid control number under the Paperwork Reduction Act—
- 1.1011Applicant for international design application—
- 1.1012Applicant’s Contracting Party—
- 1.1021(d)Contents of the international design application3 §§4
- 1.1022Form and signature—
- 1.1023Filing date of an international design application in the United States4 §§5
- 1.1024The description—
- 1.1025The claim—
- 1.1026Reproductions2 §§2
- 1.1027Specimens—
- 1.1028Deferment of publication—
- 1.1031International design application fees4 §§11
- 1.1041Representation in an international design application—
- 1.1042Correspondence respecting international design applications filed with the Office as an office of indirect filing—
- 1.1045Procedures for transmittal of international design application to the International Bureau1 §§2
- 1.1051Relief from prescribed time limits—
- 1.1052Conversion to a design application under 35 U.S.C. chapter 16—
- 1.1061Rules applicable1 §§2
- 1.1062Examination—
- 1.1063Notification of Refusal—
- 1.1064One independent and distinct design—
- 1.1065Corrections and other changes in the International Register—
- 1.1066Correspondence address for a nonprovisional international design application—
- 1.1067Title, description, and inventor’s oath or declaration—
- 1.1068Statement of grant of protection—
- 1.1070Notification of Invalidation—
- 1.1071Grant of protection for an industrial design only upon issuance of a patent—
Structure and headings from the MPEP’s Appendix R · MPEP Appendix R (Revision 01.2024). Citation counts cover the structured (annotated) part of the manual only.