Find useful information for current patent and trademark practitioners including ethics rules, common forms, and online access to the Office of Enrollment and Discipline's (OED's) practitioner portal.
Ethics rules
Access the USPTO Rules of Professional Conduct, which apply to all individuals who represent others before the USPTO. OED maintains jurisdiction to investigate violations of the USPTO Rules of Professional Conduct.
Practitioner portal
Update your practitioner information instantly online by accessing the OED practitioner portal. Please note that OED systems are separate and distinct from other USPTO systems; therefore, practitioners who update their contact information in individual patent or trademark applications, as well as Patent Electronic Business Center customer numbers, are still required to notify OED of changes to their contact information. See 37 C.F.R. § 11.11(a).
Practitioner forms
Find commonly requested OED forms. Please note that the application for registration is accessible only in the General Requirements Bulletin.
Practitioner survey
Access information regarding the mandatory survey for patent practitioners. Please note that a failure to respond to the survey may result in administrative suspension.
OED Diversion Pilot Program
As an alternative to formal discipline, the OED Diversion Pilot Program is available to practitioners whose physical or mental health issues or law practice management issues resulted in minor misconduct and little, if any, harm to a client. Further information about the program and the criteria for participation are described in the OED Diversion Pilot Program Document.
The USPTO sought review and comment on a proposal to formalize the OED Diversion Pilot Program. Although the comment period has ended, interested parties may see the Federal Register Proposed Rule for more information. Similarly, the USPTO sought review and comment on a proposed OED Diversion Guidance Document that addresses considerations for participation, the content of a diversion agreement, and completion of the program.
Comments on the proposal and guidelines are viewable through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. To find the submitted comments, enter docket number PTO-C-2021-0045 on the homepage and click “Search.” The site will provide search results listing all documents associated with this docket. Click on the reference to the proposed rule, then select the “Browse Posted Comments” tab to view the comments. If access to the comments is not feasible due to a lack of access to a computer and/or the Internet, please contact the USPTO using the contact information below for special instructions.
For further information, contact: Will R. Covey, Deputy General Counsel for Enrollment and Discipline and Director of the Office of Enrollment and Discipline, at 571-272-4097.