Mail Stop Designations |
Explanation |
Mail Stop 12 |
Contributions to the Examiner Education Program. |
Mail Stop 313(c) |
Petitions under 37 CFR 1.313(c) to withdraw a patent application from issue after payment of the issue fee and any papers associated with the petition, including papers necessary for a continuing application or a request for continued examination (RCE). |
Mail Stop AF |
Amendments and other responses after final rejection (e.g., a notice of appeal (and any request for pre-appeal brief conference)), other than an appeal brief. |
Mail Stop Amendment |
Information disclosure statements, drawings and replies to Office actions in patent applications with or without an amendment to the application or a terminal disclaimer. (Use Mail Stop AF for replies after final rejection). |
Mail Stop Appeal Brief-Patents |
For appeal briefs or other briefs under part 41 of title 37 of the Code of Federal Regulations (e.g., former 37 CFR 1.192). |
Mail Stop Comments-Patents |
Public comments regarding patent-related regulations and procedures. |
Mail Stop Conversion |
Requests under 37 CFR 1.53(c)(2) to convert a nonprovisional application to a provisional application and requests under 37 CFR 1.53(c)(3) to convert a provisional application to a nonprovisional application. |
Mail Stop EBC |
Mail for the Electronic Business Center, including: Certificate Action Forms, Requests for Customer Number, and Requests for Customer Number Data Change (USPTO Forms PTO-2042, PTO/SB/124A and 125A, respectively) and Customer Number Upload Spreadsheets and Cover Letters. |
Mail Stop Expedited Design |
Only to be used for the initial filing of design applications accompanied by a request for expedited examination under 37 CFR 1.155. |
Mail Stop Express Abandonment |
Requests for abandonment of a patent application pursuant to 37 CFR 1.138, including any petitions under 37 CFR 1.138(c) to expressly abandon an application to avoid publication of the application. |
Mail Stop Hatch-Waxman PTE |
Applications under 35 U.S.C. 156 for patent term extension based on regulatory review of a product subject to pre-market review by a regulating agency. This mail stop is also to be used for additional correspondence regarding the application for patent term extension under 35 U.S.C. 156. It is preferred that such initial requests be hand-carried to: Office of Patent Legal AdministrationRoom MDW 7D55600 Dulany Street (Madison Building)Alexandria, VA 22314 |
Mail Stop ILS |
Correspondence relating to international patent classification, exchanges and standards. |
Mail Stop Issue Fee |
All communications following the receipt of a PTOL-85, "Notice of Allowance and Fee(s) Due," and prior to the issuance of a patent should be addressed to Mail Stop Issue Fee, unless advised to the contrary. Assignments are the exception. Assignments (with cover sheets) should be faxed to 571-273-0140, electronically submitted (http://epas.uspto.gov), or submitted in a separate envelope and sent to Mail Stop Assignment Recordation Services, Director - U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as shown below. |
Mail Stop L&R |
All documents pertaining to applications subject to secrecy order pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 181, or national-security classified and required to be processed accordingly. Such papers, petitions for foreign filing license pursuant to 37 CFR 5.12(b) for which expedited handling is requested, and petitions for retroactive license under 37 CFR 5.25 may also be hand-carried to Licensing & Review: Technology Center 3600, Office of the DirectorRoom 4B41501 Dulany Street (Knox Building)Alexandria, VA 22314 |
Mail Stop Missing Parts |
Requests for a corrected filing receipt and replies to OPAP notices such as the Notice of Omitted Items, Notice to File Corrected Application Papers, Notice of Incomplete Application, Notice to Comply with Nucleotide Sequence Requirements, and Notice to File Missing Parts of Application, and associated papers and fees. |
Mail Stop MPEP |
Submissions concerning the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. |
Mail Stop Patent Ext. |
Applications for patent term extension or adjustment under 35 U.S.C. 154 and any communications relating thereto. This mail stop is limited to petitions for patent term extension under 35 U.S.C. 154 for applications filed between June 8, 1995 and May 29, 2000, and patent term adjustment (PTA) under 35 U.S.C. 154 for applications filed on or after May 29, 2000. For applications for patent term extension under 35 U.S.C. 156, use Mail Stop Hatch-Waxman PTE. For applications for patent term extension or adjustment under 35 U.S.C. 154 that are mailed together with the payment of the issue fee, use Mail Stop Issue Fee. |
Mail Stop Patent Search Template Comments |
Submission of comments regarding search templates. |
Mail Stop PCT |
Mail related to international applications filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty in the international phase and in the national phase under 35 U.S.C. 371 prior to mailing of a Notification of Acceptance of Application Under 35 U.S.C. 371 and 37 CFR 1.495 (Form PCT/DO/EO/903). |
Mail Stop Petition |
Petitions to be decided by the Office of Petitions, including petitions to revive and petitions to accept late payment of issue fees or maintenance fees. |
Mail Stop PGPub |
Correspondence regarding publication of patent applications not otherwise provided, including requests for early publication made after filing, rescission of a non-publication request, corrected patent application publication, and refund of publication fee. |
Mail Stop Post Issue |
In patented files: requests for changes of correspondence address, powers of attorney, revocations of powers of attorney, withdrawal as attorney or agent and submissions under 37 CFR 1.501. Designation of, or changes to, a fee address should be addressed to Mail Stop M Correspondence. Requests for Certificate of Correction need no special mail stop but should be mailed to the attention of Certificate of Correction Branch. |
Mail Stop RCE |
Requests for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114. |
Mail Stop Reconstruction |
Correspondence pertaining to the reconstruction of lost patent files. |
Mail Stop Ex Parte Reexam |
Original requests for Ex Parte Reexamination and all subsequent correspondence other than correspondence to the Office of the Solicitor (see 37 CFR 1.1(a)(3) and 1.302(c)). |
Mail Stop Inter Partes Reexam |
Original requests for Inter Partes Reexamination and all subsequent correspondence other than correspondence to the Office of the Solicitor (see 37 CFR 1.1(a)(3) and 1.302(c)). |
Mail Stop Reissue |
All new and continuing reissue application filings. |
Mail Stop Sequence |
Submission of the computer readable form (CRF) for applications with sequence listings, when the CRF is not being filed with the patent application. |
Mail Stop Supplemental |
(Effective September 16, 2012). Requests for Supplemental Examination original request papers and any other correspondence to the Office of the Solicitor (see 37 CFR Secs. 1.1(a)(3) AND 1.302(c)). This mail stop is limited to original request papers and any other papers that are to be filed in a supplemental examination proceeding. FOr any papers to be filed in an ex parte reexamination proceeding ordered as a result of a supplemental proceeding, use "Mail Stop Ex Parte Reexam". |