United States Patent and Trademark Office OG Notices: 27 May 2003

                          Patent Customers Advised to
                          FAX Communications to USPTO

   Facsimile transmissions of communications to the Office can
significantly expedite processing of the communication within the
Office. For example, when an assignment document is faxed to the
Office, the average cycle time to process, record, and send a notice of
recordation is one calendar day, whereas when the document is mailed to
the Office, the average cycle time is 113 calendar days. See Status of
Office of Public Records Services, 1269 Off. Gaz. Pat. Office 19,20
(April 1, 2003).

   With many of the facsimile numbers provided below (i.e.,
those numbers below with 746 or 872 after the area code in the
facsimile number), a return receipt will be automatically generated
that will include the number of pages received as well as the date and
time the facsimile was received. Additionally, the return receipt will
include an image of the received cover page. The return receipt will be
automatically sent to the sender's facsimile machine so long as the
sender's facsimile number is properly programmed in the sending
facsimile machine, and the sender's facsimile machine is available to
receive a fax immediately following the original transmission. (Note
that with area code changes, or with movement of a facsimile machine
from one number to another, the facsimile machine's number may need to
be reprogrammed.) Even if a return receipt is not desired, at least the
first page of the facsimile transmission must clearly indicate the date
and time the transmission is sent, an identification of the business,
other entity, or individual sending the transmission, and the telephone
number of the sending machine or of such business, other entity, or
individual. See 47 U.S.C. 227(d)(1)(B) and 47 CFR
68.318(d). A return receipt will be attempted to be sent several times,
but if a busy signal is repeatedly received, a return receipt will not
be received by the sender. Applicants are advised to use the
certificate of facsimile transmission procedures when submitting a
reply to an Office action by facsimile (see 37 CFR 1.6 and 1.8).
Applicants are also advised to retain the return receipt in the event
that the Office has no record of the facsimile submission.

   PTO Form 2038 should be used when authorizing payment by
credit card; this form is maintained separate from the file to ensure
confidentiality. Note that current processing of assignment documents
now permits use of of a credit card, but that PTO form 2038 should be
used to prevent credit card information from being included in public
records. Form PTO-2038 may be downloaded at
http://www.uspto.gov/web/forms/2038.pdf from the USPTO website.

Examples of Correspondence that         Patent Correspondence that
MAY be faxed to the USPTO               may NOT be faxed to the
(37 CFR 1.6)                            USPTO (37 CFR 1.6)

Amendments                              Correspondence relating to
                                        registration to practice before
                                        the USPTO in patent cases,
                                        enrollment or disciplinary matters

Petitions for an extension of time      Documents required by statute to be
                                        certified (37 CFR 1.4(f))

Authorization to charge a deposit       Patent applications other than
account                                 Continued Prosecution Applications
                                        (CPAs). International applications
                                        for patents may also not be faxed.

Information disclosure statements       Correspondence in an
(IDS)                                   interference that an
                                        examiner-in-chief orders
                                        to be filed by hand or
                                        "Express Mail," the
                                        filing of agreements
                                        between parties to an
                                        interference, and other
                                        papers in an interference
                                        (see, e.g., 37 CFR 1.6(d)(9))

Terminal disclaimers                    A copy of an international
                                        application and the basic national
                                        fee necessary to enter the national
                                        stage, as specified in
                                        37 CFR 1.495(b)

Notices of Appeal                       Drawings submitted under
and Appeal briefs                       37 CFR 1.81, 1.82 - 1.85,
                                        except when included with
                                        an Issue Fee transmittal
                                        and faxed to (703) 746-4000

Continued prosecution                   A request for reexamination
applications (CPAs)                     under 37 CFR 1.510 or 1.913
under 37 CFR 1.53(d)

Requests for continued examination      Correspondence required to be
(RCEs) under 37 CFR 1.114               filed in a patent application
                                        subject to a Secrecy Order and
                                        directly related to the secrecy
                                        order content of the application

Note: Other items may be submitted by fax to the USPTO as set forth below.

               Faxes to the Office of Initial Patent Examination

   Responses to notices from the Office of Initial Patent
Examination (OIPE) and requests for corrected filing receipts may be
filed by facsimile. New applications (other than continued prosecution
applications (CPAs) under 37 CFR 1.53(d)) may not be filed
by facsimile. The following is a list of Official Facsimile Numbers for
the OIPE:

Fax number for corrected Filing Receipt Requests:       703-746-9195
Fax number for Response to Notice to File
Missing Parts (drawings may not
be submitted by fax):                                   703-746-4060
Telephone number for Customer Service:                  703-308-1202

                        Faxes to the Technology Centers

   In addition, communications may be faxed to the Technology
Centers. The following is a list of Official Facsimile Numbers for the
Technology Centers:

TC1600:                                  TC2800:
   Before Final: 703-872-9306               Before Final: 703-872-9318
   After Final: 703-872-9307                After Final: 703-872-9319
   Customer Service: 703-872-9305           Customer Service: 703-872-9317
   Telephone number for customer            Telephone number for customer
      service: (703) 308-0198                  service: (703)306-3329

TC1700:                                  TC2900:
   Before Final: 703-872-9310               Before Final: 703-872-9322
   After Final: 703-872-9311                After Final: 703-872-9323
   Customer Service: 703-872-9309           Customer Service: 703-872-9321
   Telephone number for customer            Telephone number for customer
      service: (703)306-5665                   service: (703)306-5648

TC2100:                                  TC3600:
   Before Final: 703-746-7239               Before Final: 703-872-9326
   After Final: 703-746-7238                After Final: 703-872-9327
   Customer Service: 703-746-7240           Customer Service: 703-872-9325
   Telephone number for customer            Telephone number for customer
      service: (703)306-5631                   service: (703)306-5771

TC2600:                                  TC3700:
   Before Final: 703-872-9314               Before Final: 703-872-9302
   After Final: 703-872-9315                After Final: 703-872-9303
   Customer Service: 703-872-9313           Customer Service: 703-872-9301
   Telephone number for customer            Telephone number for customer
      service: (703)306-0377                   service: (703)306-5648


                   Faxes to the Office of Patent Publication

   Patent applicants are also reminded that 37 CFR 1.6(d) permits
payment of an issue fee and a publication fee (if required) by
facsimile transmission. When drawings are submitted with payment of an
issue fee, they may be submitted by facsimile, although applicants are
reminded that the facsimile process may reduce the quality of the
drawings, and the Office will generally print the drawings received.

   The applicable telephone numbers for payment of the issue
and/or publication fee(s) by facsimile transmission are as follows:

Fax number for Issue Fee
(and any Publication Fee) Payments:     (703) 746-4000

Telephone number to check on receipt
of payment (with Office of Patent
Publication):                           (703) 305-8283

   The Office of Patent Publication also handles many matters
related to publication of patent applications. For example, express
abandonments under 37 CFR 1.138(c) are handled by the Pre-Grant
Publication Division of the Office of Patent Publication. In addition,
requests to rescind a nonpublication request and notices of foreign
filing should be directed to the Pre-Grant Publication Divison.
Questions regarding publication of patent applications (or rescissions
of nonpublication requests) may also be directed by e-mail to
pgpub@uspto.gov.

Fax number for PGPUB correspondence:    (703) 305-8568

Telephone number for the Pre-Grant
Publication Division:                   (703) 605-4283


                         Faxes of Assignment Documents

   Facsimile transmission to record an assignment or other
documents affecting title is also accepted. This process allows
customers to submit their documents directly into the automated Patent
and Trademark Assignment System and receive the resulting recordation
notice at their fax machine. Credit card payments to record assignment
documents are now accepted, but use of the credit card form
(PTO Form-2038) is required for the credit card information to separated
from the assignment records. Only documents with an identified patent
application or patent number, a single cover sheet to record a single type
of transaction, and the fee paid by a USPTO deposit account or credit card
may be submitted via facsimile. Please refer to our Web Site, at
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ido/opr/ptasfax.pdf for more
information regarding the submission of assignment documents via facsimile.

Fax number for Automated Patent
and Trademark Assignment system:        703-306-5995

Telephone number for Assignment
Division for assistance:                703-308-9723


                       Faxes to the Office of Petitions

   Applicable correspondence may be submitted to the Office of
Petitions via facsimile. For questions concerning Petitions, contact
the Office of Petitions at the numbers below:

Fax number for the Office of Petitions: 703-308-6916

Telephone number for customer service
and inquiries:                          703-305-9282