MPEP § 2224 — MPEP § 2224
Current through: 2022-07-01

2224-Correspondence 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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 Patent Laws, Regulations, Policies & Procedures 

 
 Manual of Patent Examining Procedure 

 Chapter 2200 

 Section 2224 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 2224 Correspondence [R-01.2024]

 All requests for ex parte reexamination filed under
 35 U.S.C.
 302 (original request papers) and all subsequent ex
 parte reexamination correspondence mailed to the U.S. Patent and Trademark
 Office via the U.S. Postal Service Mail, other than correspondence to the Office of the
 General Counsel pursuant to 37 CFR 1.1(a)(3) and 1.302(e) , should be
 addressed:
 

 Mail Stop Ex Parte 
 Reexam
Attn: Central Reexamination Unit
Commissioner for Patents
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
 

 All such correspondence hand-carried to the Office, or submitted by
 delivery service (e.g., Federal Express, DHL, etc., which are commercial mail or delivery
 services) should be addressed to the Customer Service Window (see MPEP § 501 , subsection
 III) with “Mail Stop Ex Parte Reexam” included in the address.
 

 Whether the correspondence is mailed, delivered, or hand-carried to the
 Office, it is strongly recommended that the Mail Stop information be placed in a prominent
 position on the first page of each paper being filed utilizing a sufficiently large font
 size that will direct attention to it.
 

 A request for ex parte reexamination may not be sent by
 facsimile transmission (FAX). See 37 CFR 1.6(d)(5) . This is also true for
 a corrected/completed request sent in response to a notice that the original request was
 not filing date compliant, since the corrected/completed request stands in place of, or is
 a completion of, the original request papers. All subsequent ex parte 
 reexamination correspondence, however, may be FAXed to:
 

 Central Reexamination Unit
 (571) 273-9900.

 

 Effective July 9, 2007, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office began
 accepting requests for reexamination, and “follow-on” papers (i.e., subsequent
 correspondence in reexamination proceedings) submitted via the USPTO patent electronic
 filing system. The Office has updated the Legal Framework for Patent Electronic System to
 set forth that requests for reexamination, and proper reexamination “follow-on” papers (see
 MPEP §
 2267 ) are permitted to be submitted using the USPTO patent
 electronic filing system. The current version of the Legal Framework for Patent Electronic
 System is at: www.uspto.gov/PatentLegalFramework .
 

 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, the art unit, and the name of the examiner.
 

 The certificate of mailing and transmission procedures ( 37 CFR 1.8 ) may be
 used to file any paper in an ex parte reexamination proceeding,
 except for a request for reexamination and a corrected/replacement request
 for reexamination. This includes the filing of a patent owner’s statement
 under 37 CFR
 1.530 , and a requester’s reply under 37 CFR 1.535 . See
 MPEP §
 512 as to the use of the certificate of mailing and transmission
 procedures. The Priority Mail Express® mailing procedure ( 37 CFR 1.10 ) may be
 used to file any paper in an ex parte reexamination proceeding. See
 MPEP §
 513 as to the use of the Priority Mail Express® mailing
 procedure. Again, the filing of a patent owner’s statement under 37 CFR 1.530 , and a
 requester’s reply under 37 CFR 1.535 , are included.
 

 Communications from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to the patent
 owner will be directed to the correspondence address for the patent being reexamined. See
 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.
 

 See MPEP §
 2624 for correspondence in inter partes 
 reexamination proceedings.
 

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 2201-Introduction 

 2202-Citation of Prior Art and Written Statements 

 2203-Persons Who May Cite Prior Art or Written Statements 

 2204-Time for Filing Prior Art or Section 301 Written Statements 

 2205-Content of Prior Art or Section 301 Written Statements 

 2206-Submission and Handling of Prior Art or Section 301 Written Statements 

 2207-Entry of Court Decision in Patent File 

 2208-Service of Prior Art or Section 301 Written Statements on Patent Owner 

 2209-Ex Parte Reexamination 

 2210-Request for Ex Parte Reexamination under 35 U.S.C. 302 

 2211-Time for Requesting Ex Parte Reexamination under 35 U.S.C. 302 

 2212-Persons Who May File a Request for Ex Parte Reexamination under 35 U.S.C. 302 
 2212.01-Inquiries from Persons Other Than the Patent Owner 

 
 

 2213-Representative of Requester 

 2214-Content of Request for Ex Parte Reexamination Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302 

 2215-Fee for Requesting Ex Parte Reexamination under 35 U.S.C. 302 

 2216-Substantial New Question of Patentability 

 2217-Statement Applying Prior Art in a Request Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302 

 2218-Copies of Prior Art 

 2219-Copy of Printed Patent 

 2220-Certificate of Service 

 2221-Amendments Included in Request Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302 by Patent Owner 

 2222-Address of Patent Owner 

 2223-Withdrawal of Attorney or Agent 

 2224-Correspondence 

 2225-Untimely Paper Filed Prior to Order under 35 U.S.C. 304 

 2226-Initial Processing of Request for Ex Parte Reexamination Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302 

 2227-Incomplete Request for Ex Parte Reexamination Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302 

 2228-[Reserved] 

 2229-Notice of Request under 35 U.S.C. 302 for Ex Parte Reexamination in Official Gazette 

 2230-Constructive Notice to Patent Owner 

 2231-Processing of Request Corrections 

 2232-Public Access to Reexaminations Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302 
 2232.01-Determining if a Reexamination Request Was Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302 for a Patent 

 
 

 2233-Processing in Central Reexamination Unit and Technology Center 

 2234-Entry of Amendments 

 2235-Record Systems 

 2236-Assignment of Reexamination 

 2237-Transfer Procedure 

 2238-Time Reporting 

 2239-Reexamination Ordered at the Director’s Initiative 

 2240-Decision on Request Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302 

 2241-Time for Deciding Request Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302 

 2242-Criteria for Deciding Request Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302 

 2243-Claims Considered in Deciding Request Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302 

 2244-Prior Art on Which the Determination Is Based in Requests Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302 

 2245-Processing of Decision 

 2246-Decision Ordering Reexamination under 35 U.S.C. 304 

 2247-Decision under 35 U.S.C. 303 on Request for Reexamination filed Under 35 U.S.C. 302, Request Denied 
 2247.01-Examples of Decisions on Request for Reexamination 

 
 

 2248-Petition From Denial of Request Filed Under 35 U.S.C. 302 

 2249-Patent Owner’s Statement in Reexaminations Filed Under 35 U.S.C. 302 

 2250-Amendment by Patent Owner 
 2250.01-Correction of Patent Drawings 

 2250.02-Correction of Inventorship 

 2250.03-Fees for Adding Claims and for Filing a Petition 

 
 

 2251-Reply by Third Party Requester 

 2252-Consideration of Statement and Reply 

 2253-Consideration by Examiner 

 2254-Conduct of Ex Parte Reexamination Proceedings 

 2255-Who Reexamines 

 2256-Prior Art Patents and Printed Publications Reviewed by Examiner in Reexamination 

 2257-Listing of Prior Art 

 2258-Scope of Ex Parte Reexamination 
 2258.01-Use of Previously Cited/Considered Art in Rejections 

 2258.02-Claiming Foreign Priority and Domestic Benefit in Reexamination 

 
 

 2259-Res Judicata and Collateral Estoppel in Reexamination Proceedings 

 2260-Office Actions 
 2260.01-Dependent Claims 

 
 

 2261-Special Status for Action 

 2262-Form and Content of Office Action 

 2263-Time for Response 

 2264-Mailing of Office Action 

 2265-Extension of Time 

 2266-Responses 
 2266.01-Submission Not Fully Responsive to Non-Final Office Action 

 2266.02-Examiner Issues Notice of Defective Paper in Ex Parte Reexamination 

 2266.03-Service of Papers 

 
 

 2267-Handling of Inappropriate or Untimely Filed Papers 

 2268-Petition for Entry of Late Papers for Revival of Reexamination Proceeding 

 2269-Reconsideration 

 2270-Clerical Handling 

 2271-Final Action 
 2271.01-Panel Review 

 
 

 2272-After Final Practice 

 2273-Appeal in Ex Parte Reexamination 

 2274-Appeal Brief 

 2275-Examiner’s Answer 

 2276-Oral Hearing 

 2277-Board Decision 

 2278-Action Following Decision 

 2279-Appeal to Courts 

 2280-Information Material to Patentability in Reexamination Proceeding Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302 

 2281-Interviews in Ex Parte Reexamination Proceedings 

 2282-Notification of Existence of Prior or Concurrent Proceedings and Decisions Thereon 

 2283-Multiple Copending Ex Parte Reexamination Proceedings 

 2284-Copending Ex Parte Reexamination and Interference Proceedings 

 2285-Copending Ex Parte Reexamination and Reissue Proceedings 

 2286-Ex Parte Reexamination and Litigation Proceedings 
 2286.01-Reexamination and Inter Partes Review Proceedings, Post-Grant Review, and Covered Business Method Patent Review 

 
 

 2287-Conclusion of Ex Parte Reexamination Proceeding 
 2287.01-Examiner Consideration of Submissions After a NIRC 

 
 

 2288-Issuance of Ex Parte Reexamination Certificate 

 2289-Reexamination Review 

 2290-Format of Ex Parte Reexamination Certificate 

 2291-Notice of Ex Parte Reexamination Certificate Issuance in Official Gazette 

 2292-Distribution of Certificate 

 2293-Intervening Rights 

 2294-Concluded Reexamination Proceedings 

 2295-Reexamination of a Reexamination 

 2296-USPTO Forms To Be Used In Ex Parte Reexamination 

 

 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 

 
 
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 Last Modified: 
 
 03/09/2026 20:50:43