Office of Enrollment and Discipline (OED)
What's New
SURVEY OF REGISTERED PRACTITIONERS IN PATENT CASES
The Office of Enrollment and Discipline (OED) will be conducting a survey of active registered practitioners pursuant to 37 C.F.R. § 10.11. The purpose of the survey is to ascertain whether the practitioners desire to remain on the register. The United States Patent and Trademark Office benefits from the survey by obtaining confirmation that OED's records regarding each practitioner's address and telephone number are correct, or by receiving updated information. In the past, the survey has prompted some individuals to advise OED of the deaths of other practitioners.
At the present time, there are more than 41,750 active registered practitioners. A register of all active registered practitioners, also called the roster, is found on the Office website at https://oedci.uspto.gov/OEDCI/. This survey will not be conducted of the entire roster of 41,750 active registered practitioners at one time. Instead, the survey is being conducted of a portion of the active registered practitioners at a time. Information regarding future surveys will be posted on the OED website. >> Click here for more information.
Examination for Registration to Practice in Patent Cases to be Updated to Include
Provisions from the America Invents Act and New Ex Parte Board of Appeals Rules
On or about January 31, 2012, the United States Patent and Trademark Office will update the content of the registration examination to cover two new rules issued September 26, 2011 in accordance with the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act. These new rules (a) permit prioritized examination of patent applications (Track I) and (b) revise the standard for granting inter partes reexamination requests. Additionally, the registration examination will include questions concerning the November 22, 2011 rules governing practice in ex parte appeals before the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences.
Source of Questions and Answers
The rules governing prioritized examination are available at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-09-23/pdf/2011-24467.pdf; the rules governing the revised standard for granting inter partes reexamination are available at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-09-23/pdf/2011-24464.pdf; and the new rules governing ex parte patent appeals are available at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-11-22/pdf/2011-29446.pdf.
The update in the content of the registration examination will be accompanied by an update in the source material for the questions. The source for the questions and answers will be the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP), Edition 8, Revision 8, as well as other published USPTO policy and procedure reference materials. The source materials are identified at http://www.uspto.gov/ip/boards/oed/aia_regexamsourcematerial.jsp.
Inconsistency Between MPEP and Other Source Materials
The applicable laws, rules and procedures as set forth in the published USPTO policy and procedure reference material will control in the event of a conflict with the MPEP, Edition 8, Revision 8.
Exam Resources
The Registration Examination
- Smith-Leahy America Invents Act and Updates to the Registration Examination (14OCT2011)
- Update of the Registration Examination (28NOV2011)
- Source Material for the Updated Registration Examination (28NOV2011)
How to Apply and Payment Information:
- Examination Registration (16FEB2011)
- Fees for Rescheduled Examination (30JUN2010)
- Fee for a Printed Copy of the Bulletin
Questions and Answers
Fee for a Printed Copy of Past Exams
Pass/Fail Statistics;
Mailing date for results
For Registered Attorneys and Agents
Changing your information?
Reg. Status from Agent to Attorney
Personal (name, address, phone, etc.)
Change of Address Form [PDF]
How to Change Address, E-mail and Telephone Numbers On-line
USPTO Introduces On-Line Customer Interface for Practitioner Changes of Address (2009JUN03)
No longer on the list?
Reinstatement Notices
—Erratum
—Reinstatement
Registration Notices
Notice of Names of Persons Seeking Registration to Practice in Patent Cases
Rules
The USPTO Code of Professional Responsibility is set forth in Part 10 of Tittle 37, Code of Federal Regulations. Procedural rules governing enrollment and disciplinary matters appear in Part 11 of Title 37, Code of Federal Regulations. The text of these regulations is available by clicking here (Updated 08JUN2011)
- Final Rules [PDF] (Updated 28JUN2004)
>> PDF viewer
Public Comments
>> PDF viewer
Final Decisions and Contacting OED
FOIA OED Final Decisions (Discipline, moral character, etc.)
Contact OED (mailing address, phone number and fax number)
Prior Announcements
Reminder: 2011 USPTO Administered Exam click here (16Feb2011)
The General Requirements Bulletin (GRB) has been updated click here (February 2011)
New forms
PTO-158T - application for Reciprocal Recognition to Practice in Trademark Matters before the USPTO under 37 CFR 11.14(c) by a Foreign Attorney or Agent
PTO-158LS - application for Limited Recognition in the USPTO Law School Program for Law Students to practice before the USPTO under 37 CFR 11.14(c)
Mail to Registered Practitioners Returned to OED Director Undelivered
On June 10-11, 2009, the Office of Enrollment and Discipline (OED) mailed login and password information to each registered practitioner to the last address of record each practitioner provided to the Director of Enrollment and Discipline (OED Director). Subsequently, mail addressed to more than one thousand practitioners was returned to OED. The Post Office indicated on some of the returned mail that the forwarding address had expired or that the practitioner was no longer at that address. Other mail was marked only “return to sender.” Listed below in alphabetical order is the name and last address of record for each practitioner for whom the mail was returned.
>> Click here for more information.
Practitioners Not Required to Pay $118 Annual Practitioner Maintenance Fee for FY 2009
The USPTO is not requiring practitioners to pay the $118 annual practitioner maintenance fee for FY 2009. Practitioners who have voluntarily paid this fee have been refunded. In the coming months, the USPTO will be considering whether to proceed with this fee requirement in FY 2010. Practitioners will be provided ample notice should the USPTO decide to collect this fee.
