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Assignment Cover Sheets

The Office developed PTO Form 1594, Recordation Form Cover Sheet
(Trademarks), and PTO Form 1595, Recordation Form Cover Sheet (Patents),
to facilitate submitting data required to record an assignment. The
first versions of these forms have been available since Sept. 1992, and
most assignments are now received with them. Both forms and their
instructions will be updated later this year to remove ambiguities and
incorporate suggestions received from customers. Until the revisions are
completed, the Office will continue to work with practitioners to
improve the utility of the current forms.
   A practitioner recently noted that the current cover sheets for both
patent and trademark assignments are not clear as to the proper entry of
different execution dates (Item 3) when there are multiple assignors
shown (Item 1). Pending redesign of the forms, the Office suggests when
there are multiple assignors named in Item 1, number each assignor, and
in Item 3, preface each execution date with the corresponding number. if
all assignor information cannot be entered in the space provided for
Item 1, enter "See Attached List" and proceed in the same manner. This
will enable Assignment Branch staff to associate the correct date with
the appropriate assignor.
   Another practitioner called to our attention the fact that although
the forms indicate "Total number of pages comprising cover sheet" (Item
9), Assignment Branch staff frequently cross out that entry and replace
it with the total number of pages submitted, both in cover sheets and
the assignment instrument itself. Soon after the forms were printed,
Assignment Branch staff found they were better able to verify document
integrity by using the total number of pages per submission. This number
is then used as a cross-check as the assignment moves through the
recordation process, receives reel and frame numbers, is microfilmed,
and returned to the customer. Pending revisions to the forms, the
preferred procedure is to indicate the total number of pages submitted,
both in cover sheets and the attached assignment.
   Additional comments or suggestions for improving either or both
assignment cover sheets should be directed to Audrey Britt, Chief,
Assignment Branch, at (703) 308-9706.

Mar. 8, 1993                                         THERESA A. BRELSFORD
                                               Assistant Commissioner for
                                                      Public Services and
                                                           Administration

                                [1148 TMOG 304]