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§ 10.170 Suspension of rules. - PATENT RULES

§ 10.170 Suspension of rules.

(a) In an extraordinary situation, when justice requires, any requirement of the regulations of this part which is not a requirement of the statutes may be suspended or waived by the Commissioner or the Commissioner's designee, sua sponte, or on petition of any party, including the Director or the Director's representative, subject to such other requirements as may be imposed.

(b) Any petition under this section will not stay a disciplinary proceeding unless ordered by the Commissioner or an administrative law judge.

[Added 50 FR 5186, Feb. 6, 1985, effective Mar. 8, 1985]

RULES RELATING TO PRACTICE BEFORE THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE

A


Address change

... 10.11


Advertising

... 10.31, 10.32


Agents, registration of

... 10.6


Agreements restricting practice

... 10.38


Aliens

... 10.6, 10.9


Applicant for patent, representation of

... 1.31, 10.10


Applicant for trademark, representation of

... 2.11


Attorneys, recognition of to practice in trademark cases

... 10.14


Attorneys, registration of to practice in patent cases

... 10.6, 10.7

B


Breach of trust

... 10.23


Business transactions or relations with client

... 10.65

C


Candidate for judicial office

... 10.103


Canons and disciplinary rules

... 10.20 - 10.112


Certificate of mailing

... 1.8, 10.23, 10.141


Certification effect of signature

... 10.18


Circumventing a disciplinary rule, amendment

... 10.23


Code of Professional Responsibility

... 10.20 - 10.112


Coercion, Use of

... 10.23


Committee on Discipline

... 10.4


Committee on Enrollment

... 10.3


Communicating with person having adverse interest

... 10.67


Communications concerning practitioner's service

... 10.31


Compensation for legal services

... 10.68


Competence

... 10.76, 10.77


Complaint instituting disciplinary proceedings

... 10.134


Concealment of material information

... 10.23


Conduct in proceeding before Office

... 10.89


Conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice

... 10.23


Conflict of interest

... 10.66


Conviction of criminal offense

... 10.23

D


Deceit

... 10.23


Decisions of the Commissioner

... 10.156, 10.157


Definitions:


Affidavit

... 10.1


Agent

... 10.6


Application

... 10.1


Canon

... 10.20


Confidence

... 10.57


Differing interests

... 10.1


Director of Enrollment and Discipline

... 10.1


Disciplinary rule

... 10.20


Employee of a tribunal

... 10.1


Excessive legal fees

... 10.36


Excluded practitioner

... 10.1


Giving information

... 10.1


Invention development services

... 10.23


Law firm

... 10.1


Lawyer

... 10.1


Legal counsel

... 10.1


Legal profession

... 10.1


Legal service

... 10.1


Legal system

... 10.1


Non-practitioner

... 10.1


Office

... 10.1


Person

... 10.1


Practitioner

... 10.1


Proceeding before the Office

... 10.1


Professional legal corporation

... 10.1


Registration

... 10.1


Respondent

... 10.134


Secret

... 10.33, 10.57


State

... 10.1


Suspended practitioner

... 10.1


Tribunal

... 10.1


United States

... 10.1


Designation as registered attorney or agent

... 10.34


Direct contact with prospective clients

... 10.33


Director of Enrollment and Discipline:


Appointment

... 10.2


Duties

... 10.2


Review of decisions of the Director

... 10.2


Disbarment from practice on ethical grounds

... 10.130


Discharge of attorney or agent by client

... 10.40


Disciplinary proceedings and investigations:


Administrative Law Judge

... 10.139


Administrative Procedures Act

... 10.132, 10.144


Review of interlocutory orders by Administrative Law Judge

... 10.139


Amendment of complaint

... 10.145


Amendment of pleadings

... 10.145


Answer to complaint

... 10.136


Appeal of initial decision of Administrative Law Judge

... 10.155


Burden of proof

... 10.149


Certificate of mailing

... 1.8, 10.141


Complaint

... 10.134


Contested case

... 10.138


Deliberations of Committee on Discipline

... 10.4


Discovery (see also Discovery in Disciplinary Proceedings)

... 10.152


Exception to ruling

... 10.150


Filing papers after complaint filed

... 10.141


Hearings before Administrative Law Judge

... 10.144


Initial decision of Administrative Law Judge

... 10.139, 10.154


Initiating disciplinary proceeding

... 10.132


Investigations of violations of disciplinary rules

... 10.131


Notice of suspension or exclusion of practitioner

... 10.159


Objections to evidence

... 10.150


Post hearing memorandum

... 10.153


Pre-hearing statement

... 10.153


Reinstatement of suspended or excluded practitioner

... 10.160


Reprimand of registered attorney or agent

... 10.130, 10.132


Resignation of practitioner

... 10.133


Review of Commissioner's final decision

... 10.157


Review of decision denying reinstatement of practitioner

... 10.2


Savings clause

... 10.161


Service of complaint

... 10.135


Settlement of complaint

... 10.133


Stay pending review of interlocutory order

... 10.139


Supplemental complaint

... 10.137


Disciplinary rule violation


Disclosure of

... 10.23, 10.24, 10.84, 10.85, 10.131


Discourteous conduct

... 10.89


Discovery in disciplinary proceedings:


Copying of documents

... 10.152


Cross-examination

... 10.152


Deliberations of committee on enrollment

... 10.4


Depositions

... 10.151


Evidence

... 10.150, 10.152


Impeachment

... 10.152


Inspection of documents

... 10.152


Interrogatories

... 10.152


Motions filed with Administrative Law Judge

... 10.143, 10.152


Privileged information

... 10.152


Undue delay in proceedings

... 10.152


Division of legal fees

... 10.37


Duress, use of

... 10.23


Duty to make counsel available

... 10.30

E


Employment:


Acceptance

... 10.39


Failure to carry out contract

... 10.84


Refusing employment

... 10.62, 10.63, 10.66


Withdrawal from employment

... 10.40, 10.63, 10.66


Exception to ruling

... 10.151


Excessive legal fees

... 10.36


Exclusion of practitioner

... 10.130, 10.132, 10.158

F


Failure to disclose material fact with regard to registration

... 10.22


Failure to notify client

... 10.23


False accusations

... 10.23


False statements concerning officials

... 10.102


Favors, improperly bestowing

... 10.23


Fees:


In general

... 1.21


Petition to review decision of Director of Enrollment and Discipline

... 10.2


Registration

... 10.8


Registration examination

... 10.7


Reinstatement

... 10.11


Request regrade of examination

... 10.6


Fees for legal services

... 10.36


Firm name, use of

... 10.35


Fitness to practice before the Office

... 10.23


Foreigners

... 10.6, 10.9, 10.14


Former Patent and Trademark Office employees

... 10.7, 10.10, 10.23


Fraud or inequitable conduct

... 10.23, 10.85


Frivolous complaint

... 10.23


Funds of client, preserving identity of

... 10.112

G


Gift, improperly bestowing

... 10.23


Government employees, registration of to practice in patent cases

... 10.10

I


Illegal conduct involving moral turpitude

... 10.23


Illegal fees for services

... 10.36


Improper alteration of patent application

... 10.23


Improper execution of oath or declaration

... 10.23


Improper influence

... 10.23


Improper signature

... 10.18, 10.23


Improperly bestowing thing of value

... 10.23


Incompetence

... 10.77, 10.78


Indecent statement, making of .

... 10.23


Independent professional judgment, exercise of

... 10.61, 10.62, 10.66, 10.68


Individual unqualified in respect to character, education, etc.

... 10.7, 10.22


Influence by others than client

... 10.68


Information precluding registration, failure to disclose

... 10.22


Initial decision of Administrative Law Judge

... 10.139, 10.154


Integrity and competence of the legal profession, maintaining of

... 10.22


Interest in litigation or proceeding before Office, acquiring of

... 10.64


Investigation of violations of disciplinary rules

... 10.131

J


Joint venture

... 10.23


Judicial office, candidate for

... 10.103

L


Legal fees:


Division of

... 10.37


Failure to pay

... 10.40


Sharing of

... 10.48


Legal system, assistance in improving the

... 10.100


Letterheads, use of

... 10.35


Limited recognition to practice in patent cases

... 10.9

M


Malpractice, limiting client's liability

... 10.78


Materially false statements in application for registration

... 10.22


Misappropriation of funds

... 10.23


Misconduct

... 10.23


Misrepresentations

... 10.22, 10.23


Multiple employment

... 10.66

N


Neglecting legal matters

... 10.77


Non-practitioner, formation of partnership with

... 10.49


Notice of suspension or exclusion

... 10.159

O


Oath requirement

... 10.8


Officials, contact with

... 10.93

P


Petitions:


Fees in general

... 1.21


Regrade of examination

... 10.7(c)


Reinstatement

... 10.160


Review decision of Commissioner

... 10.157


Review decision of Director of Enrollment and Discipline

... 10.2


Suspension of rules

... 10.170


Preserve secrets and confidence of client

... 10.56, 10.57


Pro se applicant

... 1.31, 2.11


Professional impropriety, avoiding appearance of

... 10.110, 10.111


Promise of advantage, offer of

... 10.23


Property of client

... 10.112


Proprietary interest in subject matter

... 10.64


Publication in Official Gazette

... 10.11, 10.159, 10.160

R


Recognition to practice before the Patent and Trademark Office:


Agents

... 10.6, 10.7, 10.14


Aliens

... 10.6, 10.7, 10.14


Attorneys

... 10.6, 10.7, 10.14


Change of address, requirement to notify Director

... 10.11


Contents of petition for reinstatement of:


person not suspended or excluded

... 10.2


suspended or excluded practitioner

... 10.160


Examination of registration in patent cases

... 10.7


Examination fee

... 10.7


Foreigners

... 10.6, 10.9, 10.14


Former Patent and Trademark Office employees

... 10.7, 10.10, 10.23


Government employees

... 10.10, 10.23


Limited recognition in patent cases

... 10.9


Non-lawyers, recognition in trademark cases

... 10.10


Patent cases

... 10.6 - 10.10


Recognition for representation

... 1.34, 2.17, 10.14


Recognition to practice

... 10.6 - 10.18


Refusal to recognize practitioner

... 10.15


Register of attorneys and agents in patent cases

... 10.5


Registration fee

... 10.8


Registration number

... 1.34


Removal of attorneys and agents from the register

... 10.11


Representation by registered attorney or agent in patent cases

... 1.31


Request for regrade of examination

... 10.6


Requirements for registration

... 10.7


Review of Director's decision refusing registration

... 10.2


Trademark cases

... 10.14


Unauthorized representation by an agent

... 10.10, 10.31


Records, property and funds of client, maintaining of

... 10.112


Reinstatement after removal from the register

... 10.2, 10.11


Reinstatement of suspended or excluded non-practitioner

... 10.160


Representing client within bounds of the law

... 10.85


Reprimand of registered attorney or agent

... 10.130, 10.132


Resignation

... 10.133


Revocation of power of attorney in trademark case

... 2.19

S


Scandalous statements, making of

... 10.23


Secrets and confidence, preservation of clients

... 10.56,

... 10.57


Settlement of claims of clients

... 10.67


Sharing legal fees

... 10.48


Signature and certificate of practitioner

... 10.18


Solicitation

... 10.32, 10.33


Statement concerning officials, making false

... 10.102


Suspension of practitioner

... 10.23, 10.130, 10.132, 10.158


Suspension of rules

... 10.170

T


Threats of criminal prosecution

... 10.88


Threats, use of

... 10.23

U


Unauthorized practice

... 10.14, 10.23, 10.31, 10.46, 10.47


Undignified conduct

... 10.89

V


Violating duty of candor and good faith

... 10.23


Violation of disciplinary rule, misconduct

... 10.23

W


Withdrawal from employment

... 10.40


Withdrawal material information

... 10.22, 10.23


Witnesses

... 10.63, 10.92

Z


Zealously representing the client

... 10.83, 10.84

[Reserved]

[Part 15 removed and reserved, 61 FR 42807, Aug. 19, 1996]

[Reserved]

[Part 15a removed and reserved, 61 FR 42807, Aug. 19, 1996]

SUBCHAPTER B    ADMINISTRATION

DISCLOSURE OF GOVERNMENT INFORMATION

SUBPART A    Freedom of Information Act

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