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2224 Correspondence [R-2] - 2200 Citation of Prior Art and Ex Parte Reexamination of Patents
2224 Correspondence [R-2]
**All requests for >ex parte< reexamination mailed to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office should be additionally marked "*>Mail Stop Ex Parte< Reexam" on the face of the outer envelope >(the use of "Ex Parte" is to distinguish such requests from inter partes requests)<. Such mail will be sorted out immediately and processed by the reexamination preprocessing staff >of the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU)<. The use of "*>Mail Stop Ex Parte< Reexam" is limited to the filing of * >an< original request for >ex parte< reexamination. Subsequent >ex parte reexamination< correspondence should not be marked "*>Mail Stop Ex Parte< Reexam." It should be directed to the Technology Center (TC) art unit indicated on the Office letters. Any correction or change of correspondence address for a United States patent should be addressed to the Office at *>Mail Stop< "Patent Address Change."
>See MPEP § 2624 for use of "Mail Stop Inter Partes Reexam" for inter partes reexamination proceedings.<
A request for >ex parte< reexamination may not be sent by facsimile transmission. See 37 CFR 1.6(d)(5).
After the filing of the request for >ex parte< reexamination, any letters sent to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office relating to *>the resulting ex parte< reexamination proceeding should identify the proceeding by the number of the patent undergoing reexamination, the reexamination request control number assigned, TC art unit, and the name of the examiner. The certificate of mailing and transmission procedures ( 37 CFR 1.8) and "Express Mail" mailing procedure ( 37 CFR 1.10) may be used to file any paper in an *>ex parte< reexamination proceeding.
Communications from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to the patent owner will be directed to the first named, most recent attorney or agent of record in the patent file at the current address on the Office's register of patent attorneys and agents, or to the patent owner's address if no attorney or agent is of record, 37 CFR 1.33(c).
Amendments and other papers filed on behalf of patent owners must be signed by the patent owners, or the registered attorney or agent of record in the patent file, or any registered attorney or agent acting in a representative capacity under 37 CFR 1.34(a). See MPEP § 2213.
Double correspondence with the patent owners and the attorney or agent normally will not be undertaken by the Office.
Where no correspondence address is otherwise specified, correspondence will be with the most recent attorney or agent made of record by the patent owner.
Note MPEP § 2220 on certificate of service.
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