MPEP Section 500, Receipt and Handling of Mail and Papers

Executive summary:

This document contains one section of the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (the "M.P.E.P."), Eighth Edition, Fifth Revision (August 2006). This page was last updated in July 2007. You may return to the section index to find a particular section. Alternatively, you may search the MPEP use the search box that appears on the bottom of every page of BitLaw--be sure to restrict your search to the MPEP in the pop-up list.

For more information on patent law, please see the Patent Section of BitLaw. For patent services, see the Beck & Tysver pages.

500 Receipt and Handling of Mail and Papers
501 Filing Papers With the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office [R-8]
502 Depositing Correspondence [R-8]
502.01 Correspondence Transmitted by Facsimile [R-8]
502.02 Correspondence Signature Requirements [R-8]
502.03 Communications via Internet Electronic Mail (e-mail)   [R-8]
502.04 Duplicate Copies of Correspondence
502.05 Correspondence Transmitted by EFS-Web [R-8]
503 Application Number and Filing Receipt [R-8]
504 Assignment of Application for Examination [R-8]
505 "Office Date" Stamp of Receipt [R-8]
506 Completeness of Original Application [R-8]
506.02 Review of Refusal To Accord Filing Date [R-8]
507 Drawing Review in the Office of Patent Application Processing [R-8]
508 Distribution
508.01 Papers Sent to Wrong Technology Center (TC)
508.02 Papers Received After Patenting or Abandonment
508.03 Unmatched Papers [R-8]
508.04 Unlocatable Patent or Application Files [R-8]
509 Payment of Fees [R-8]
509.01 Deposit Accounts [R-8]
509.02 Small Entity Status - Definitions [R-3]
509.03 Claiming Small Entity Status [R-8]
510 U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Business Hours [R-8]
511 Postal Service Interruptions and Emergencies [R-8]
512 Certificate of Mailing or Transmission [R-8]
513 Deposit as Express Mail with U.S. Postal Service [R-8]