MPEP § 1003 — MPEP § 1003
Current through: 2022-07-01

1003-Matters Submitted to Technology Center Directors 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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 Manual of Patent Examining Procedure 

 Chapter 1000 

 Section 1003 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 1003 Matters Submitted to Technology Center Directors [R-01.2024]

 The following is a list of matters which are submitted to the appropriate
 Technology Center Director, together with a reference to any section of this manual where
 such matters are more fully treated.
 

 1. Requests for a certificate of correction in which the:

 
 a. request raises a novel issue or about which there is some
 question; or
 

 b. request is for a patent known to be in litigation.

 
 2. Return of papers entered in the file wrapper. See MPEP § 719.01 .
 

 3. Certain rejections on double patenting of divisional (or parent) case
 when restriction or election of species has previously been required, MPEP § 804.04 .
 

 4. Request for patentability report, MPEP § 705.01(e) .
 

 5. Actions which hold claims unpatentable on grounds of
 rejection that would also be applicable to corresponding claims in a patent.
 

 6. Interferences between applications neither of which is in condition for
 allowance.
 

 7. Letters requesting jurisdiction from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board
 of applications involved in appeal or interference.
 

 8. Letters to an applicant suggesting claims for purposes of interference,
 the adoption of which by the applicant would result in the withdrawal of an application
 from issue, MPEP §
 2304.02 .
 

 9. Examiner’s answers containing a new interpretation of law. See
 MPEP §
 1207.02 .
 

 10. Proposed interferences between applications whose effective filing
 dates differ by more than 6 months. See MPEP § 2302 .
 

 11. Protests filed against issuance of a patent. See MPEP § 1901.06 .
 

 12. Letters suggesting claims to an application in issue for purposes of
 interference with a patent. See MPEP § 2304.04 .
 

 13. Requests by the examiner to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board for
 reconsideration of a decision before forwarding to the Office of the Deputy Commissioner
 for Patents who oversees the Office of Petitions, MPEP § 1214.04 .
 

 14. Second or subsequent suspension of action in patent application under
 37 CFR
 1.103 on examiner’s initiative. MPEP § 709 .
 

 15. Request by the examiner to withdraw an application from issue,
 MPEP §
 1308.01 .
 

 16. An unusual fact situation in a patent that establishes:

 
 a. there is a “compelling reason” to order reexamination, and

 b. at least one claim in the patent is prima facie unpatentable over prior patents and/or printed publications. See
 37 CFR
 1.520 , MPEP § 2239 .
 

 
 17. Applications containing examiner’s answers lacking the appropriate
 indication that an appeal conference was held. See MPEP § 1207.01 .
 

 All unusual questions of practice may be referred to the Technology Center
 Directors.
 

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 1001-Statutory Authority of Director of the USPTO 
 1001.01-Modes of Exercising Authority 

 
 

 1002-Petitions to the Director of the USPTO 
 1002.01-Procedure 

 1002.02-Delegation of Authority To Decide Petitions 
 1002.02(a)-[Reserved] 

 1002.02(b)-Petitions and Requests Decided by the Deputy Commissioner Who Oversees the Office of Petitions or Assigned Staff in the Office
 of Petitions, the Office of Patent Legal Administration and the MPEP Staff Office 

 1002.02(c)-Petitions and Requests Decided by the Technology Center Directors 
 1002.02(c)(1)-Petitions Decided by the Director of the Technology Center Who Oversees Licensing and Review 

 1002.02(c)(2)-[Reserved] 

 1002.02(c)(3)-Petitions and Requests Decided by the Director of Technology Center 2900 

 1002.02(c)(4)-Petitions Decided in the Central Reexamination Unit 

 
 

 1002.02(d)-Petitions and Matters Decided by Supervisory Patent Examiners 

 1002.02(e)-[Reserved] 

 1002.02(f)-Petitions and Matters Decided by the Chief Administrative Patent Judge of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board 

 1002.02(g)-Petitions Decided by the Administrative Patent Judges 

 1002.02(h)-[Reserved] 

 1002.02(i)-Petitions Decided by the Commissioner for Trademarks 

 1002.02(j)-Petitions Decided by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board 

 1002.02(k)-Matters Decided by the General Counsel, the Office of General Law and the Solicitor 
 1002.02(k)(1)-Petitions and Matters Decided by the General Counsel 

 1002.02(k)(2)-Requests Decided by the Office of General Law 

 1002.02(k)(3)-Petitions Decided by the Solicitor 

 
 

 1002.02(l)-Requests Decided by the Certificates of Correction Branch 

 1002.02(m)-Petitions Decided by the Director of the Office of Enrollment and Discipline 

 1002.02(n)-[Reserved] 

 1002.02(o)-Petitions and Other Matters Decided by the Deputy Director of the USPTO 

 1002.02(p)-Petitions and Matters Decided by the Director of International Patent Legal Administration 

 1002.02(q)-Petitions and Requests Decided by the Director of Office of Patent Application Processing (OPAP) 

 1002.02(r)-Petitions Decided by the Director of Office of Data Management 

 1002.02(s)-Petitions and Matters Decided in the Technology Centers 

 1002.02(t)-Requests Decided by the Deputy Commissioner for Patents who oversees the Office of Information Technology for Patents 

 
 

 
 

 1003-Matters Submitted to Technology Center Directors 

 1004-Actions Which Require the Attention of a Primary Examiner 

 1005-Exceptions to Partial Signatory Authority 

 

 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 

 
 
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 Last Modified: 
 
 03/09/2026 20:50:32