Revised Procedures for Express Abandonment and Patent Publication Avoidance

 

On April 27, 2004, the United States Patent and Trademark Office announced revised abandonment and publication avoidance procedures along with a new "Mail Stop Express Abandonment" at http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/dapp/opla/preognotice/msexabn.pdf.

 

The notice clarifies that, if an applicant files a letter of express abandonment under 37 CFR 1.138 without a petition to avoid publication under 37 CFR 1.138(c), then the application will be abandoned regardless of whether the application can be withdrawn from the publication process. Therefore, the application might be both published and abandoned.  Letters of express abandonment and/or petitions to avoid publication under 37 CFR 1.138 must be filed by:

(1) Mailing the petition or letter to:

Mail Stop Express Abandonment

Commissioner for Patents

P.O. Box 1450

Alexandria, Virginia, 22314-1450;

(2) Transmitting the petition or letter by facsimile directly to the Pre-Grant Publication Division at 703-305-8568; or

 

(3) Delivering the petition or letter by hand during business hours between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 

Pre-Grant Publication Division 

2231 Crystal Drive, Room 905

Arlington, VA 22202

Applicants must also submit their petitions for express abandonment by facsimile or hand-delivery if projected publication date is within three months of the date when the petition will be filed. Otherwise, "they will bear the risk that the Pre-Grant Publication Division will not recognize the abandonment in sufficient time to avoid publication."

 

For more information on USPTO Practice, contact Bill Heinze (bill.heinze@tkhr.com), at Thomas, Kayden, Horstemeyer & Risley LLP in Atlanta, Georgia USA.