MPEP § 2532 — MPEP § 2532
Current through: 2022-07-01

2532-Duplicate Payments 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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 Manual of Patent Examining Procedure 

 Chapter 2500 

 Section 2532 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 2532 Duplicate Payments [R-08.2017]

 In the event a maintenance fee is submitted (hereafter, duplicate
 payment) in the required amount (including any necessary surcharge) within the payment
 window for the patent identified for payment, but the same maintenance fee for that
 patent was already paid by a previous fee submitter (hereafter, first fee submitter),
 the Office intends to treat the duplicate payment from the second fee submitter as
 follows:
 

 
 (A) If the duplicate payment does not comply with 37 CFR
 1.366(c) by not containing both the patent number and the
 corroborating application number, the Office will return the duplicate payment
 to the second fee submitter with an indication that the maintenance fee for the
 patent was already paid.
 

 (B) If the duplicate payment does comply with 37 CFR
 1.366(c) by containing both the patent number and the
 corroborating application number, the Office will verify that the first payment
 was properly processed.
 
 (1) If the first payment was properly processed, the Office
 will return the duplicate payment to the second fee submitter. In this
 event the returned payment will be accompanied by identification of the
 first fee submitter.
 

 (2) If a review of the Office record of the first
 maintenance fee payment reveals that the first payment was not properly
 processed (e.g., did not comply with 37 CFR 1.366(c) or
 was not specially accepted in accordance with MPEP §
 2530 ), the Office will attempt to determine
 whether the first payment should have been applied to a patent other
 than the patent identified under 37 CFR 1.366(c) by
 the second fee submitter. Based on this determination the Office will:
 (a) attempt to apply the duplicate payment (and retract the first
 payment); or (b) return the duplicate payment to the second fee
 submitter with identification of the first fee submitter.
 

 
 

 
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 2501-Introduction 

 2502-2503-[Reserved] 

 2504-Patents Subject to Maintenance Fees 

 2505-[Reserved] 

 2506-Times for Submitting Maintenance Fee Payments 

 2507-2509-[Reserved] 

 2510-Submission of Maintenance Fee Payments and Documents 

 2511-2514-[Reserved] 

 2515-Information Required for Submission of Maintenance Fee Payment 

 2516-2519-[Reserved] 

 2520-Maintenance Fee Amounts 

 2521-[Reserved] 

 2522-Methods of Payment 

 2523-2529-[Reserved] 

 2530-Special Acceptance of Maintenance Fee Payments Containing Informalities 

 2531-Payment Late or Insufficient 

 2532-Duplicate Payments 

 2533-2539-[Reserved] 

 2540-Fee Address for Maintenance Fee Purposes 

 2541-[Reserved] 

 2542-Change of Correspondence Address 

 2543-2549-[Reserved] 

 2550-Entity Status Discounts 

 2551-2559-[Reserved] 

 2560-Revocation of Power of Attorney and Withdrawal of Attorney 

 2561-2569-[Reserved] 

 2570-Maintenance Fee Payment Status Requests 

 2571-2574-[Reserved] 

 2575-Notices 

 2576-2579-[Reserved] 

 2580-Review of Decision Refusing to Accept and Record Payment of a Maintenance Fee Filed Prior to Expiration of Patent 

 2581-2589-[Reserved] 

 2590-Acceptance of Delayed Payment of Maintenance Fee in Expired Patent to Reinstate Patent 

 2591-Intervening Rights in Reinstated Patents 

 2592-2594-[Reserved] 

 2595-Forms 

 

 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 

 
 
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 Last Modified: 
 
 03/09/2026 20:50:47