[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 37, Volume 1]
[Revised as of July 1, 1999]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 37CFR1.33]

[Page 29-30]
 
             TITLE 37--PATENTS, TRADEMARKS, AND COPYRIGHTS
 
    CHAPTER I--PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
 
PART 1--RULES OF PRACTICE IN PATENT CASES--Table of Contents
 
                Subpart B--National Processing Provisions
 
Sec. 1.33  Correspondence respecting patent applications, reexamination proceedings, and other proceedings.

    (a) The applicant, the assignee(s) of the entire interest (see 
Secs. 3.71 and 3.73) or an attorney or agent of record (see 
Sec. 1.34(b)) may specify a correspondence address to which 
communications

[[Page 30]]

about the application are to be directed. All notices, official letters, 
and other communications in the application will be directed to the 
correspondence address or, if no such correspondence address is 
specified, to an attorney or agent of record (see Sec. 1.34(b)), or, if 
no attorney or agent is of record, to the applicant, so long as a post 
office address has been furnished in the application. Double 
correspondence with an applicant and an attorney or agent, or with more 
than one attorney or agent, will not be undertaken. If more than one 
attorney or agent is made of record and a correspondence address has not 
been specified, correspondence will be held with the one last made of 
record.
    (b) Amendments and other papers filed in the application must be 
signed by:
    (1) An attorney or agent of record appointed in compliance with 
Sec. 1.34(b);
    (2) A registered attorney or agent not of record who acts in a 
representative capacity under the provisions of Sec. 1.34(a);
    (3) The assignee of record of the entire interest, if there is an 
assignee of record of the entire interest;
    (4) An assignee of record of an undivided part interest, and any 
assignee(s) of the remaining interest and any applicant retaining an 
interest, if there is an assignee of record of an undivided part 
interest; or
    (5) All of the applicants (Secs. 1.42, 1.43 and 1.47) for patent, 
unless there is an assignee of record of the entire interest and such 
assignee has taken action in the application in accordance with 
Secs. 3.71 and 3.73.
    (c) All notices, official letters, and other communications for the 
patent owner or owners in a reexamination proceeding will be directed to 
the attorney or agent of record (see Sec. 1.34(b)) in the patent file at 
the address listed on the register of patent attorneys and agents 
maintained pursuant to Secs. 10.5 and 10.11 or, if no attorney or agent 
is of record, to the patent owner or owners at the address or addresses 
of record. Amendments and other papers filed in a reexamination 
proceeding on behalf of the patent owner must be signed by the patent 
owner, or if there is more than one owner by all the owners, or by an 
attorney or agent of record in the patent file, or by a registered 
attorney or agent not of record who acts in a representative capacity 
under the provisions of Sec. 1.34(a). Double correspondence with the 
patent owner or owners and the patent owner's attorney or agent, or with 
more than one attorney or agent, will not be undertaken. If more than 
one attorney or agent is of record and a correspondence address has not 
been specified, correspondence will be held with the last attorney or 
agent made of record.
    (d) A ``correspondence address'' or change thereto may be filed with 
the Patent and Trademark Office during the enforceable life of the 
patent. The ``correspondence address'' will be used in any 
correspondence relating to maintenance fees unless a separate ``fee 
address'' has been specified. See Sec. 1.363 for ``fee address'' used 
solely for maintenance fee purposes.

[36 FR 12617, July 2, 1971, as amended at 46 FR 29181, May 29, 1981; 49 
FR 34724, Aug. 31, 1984; 50 FR 5171, Feb. 6, 1985; 62 FR 53184, Oct. 10, 
1997]