[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 37, Volume 1]
[Revised as of July 1, 2008]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 37CFR1.33]

[Page 40-41]
 
              TITLE 37--PATENTS, TRADEMARKS, AND COPYRIGHTS
 
  CHAPTER I--UNITED STATES 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) Correspondence address and daytime telephone number. When filing 
an application, a correspondence address must be set forth in either an 
application data sheet (Sec. 1.76), or elsewhere, in a clearly 
identifiable manner, in any paper submitted with an application filing. 
If no correspondence address is specified, the Office may treat the 
mailing address of the first named inventor (if provided, see Sec. Sec. 
1.76(b)(1) and 1.63(c)(2)) as the correspondence address. The Office 
will direct, or otherwise make available, all notices, official letters, 
and other communications relating to the application to the person 
associated with the correspondence address. For correspondence submitted

[[Page 41]]

via the Office's electronic filing system, however, an electronic 
acknowledgment receipt will be sent to the submitter. The Office will 
generally not engage in double correspondence with an applicant and a 
patent practitioner, or with more than one patent practitioner except as 
deemed necessary by the Director. If more than one correspondence 
address is specified in a single document, the Office will select one of 
the specified addresses for use as the correspondence address and, if 
given, will select the address associated with a Customer Number over a 
typed correspondence address. For the party to whom correspondence is to 
be addressed, a daytime telephone number should be supplied in a clearly 
identifiable manner and may be changed by any party who may change the 
correspondence address. The correspondence address may be changed as 
follows:
    (1) Prior to filing of Sec. 1.63 oath or declaration by any of the 
inventors. If a Sec. 1.63 oath or declaration has not been filed by any 
of the inventors, the correspondence address may be changed by the party 
who filed the application. If the application was filed by a patent 
practitioner, any other patent practitioner named in the transmittal 
papers may also change the correspondence address. Thus, the 
inventor(s), any patent practitioner named in the transmittal papers 
accompanying the original application, or a party that will be the 
assignee who filed the application, may change the correspondence 
address in that application under this paragraph.
    (2) Where a Sec. 1.63 oath or declaration has been filed by any of 
the inventors. If a Sec. 1.63 oath or declaration has been filed, or is 
filed concurrent with the filing of an application, by any of the 
inventors, the correspondence address may be changed by the parties set 
forth in paragraph (b) of this section, except for paragraph (b)(2).
    (b) Amendments and other papers. Amendments and other papers, except 
for written assertions pursuant to Sec. 1.27(c)(2)(ii) of this part, 
filed in the application must be signed by:
    (1) A patent practitioner of record appointed in compliance with 
Sec. 1.32(b);
    (2) A patent practitioner not of record who acts in a representative 
capacity under the provisions of Sec. 1.34;
    (3) An assignee as provided for under Sec. 3.71(b) of this chapter; 
or
    (4) All of the applicants (Sec. 1.41(b)) for patent, unless there 
is an assignee of the entire interest and such assignee has taken action 
in the application in accordance with Sec. 3.71 of this chapter.
    (c) All notices, official letters, and other communications for the 
patent owner or owners in a reexamination proceeding will be directed to 
the correspondence address. 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. 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.
    (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.
    (e) A change of address filed in a patent application or patent does 
not change the address for a patent practitioner in the roster of patent 
attorneys and agents. See Sec. 11.11 of this title.

[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; 65 FR 54661, Sept. 8, 2000; 69 FR 29877, May 26, 2004; 69 FR 
35452, June 24, 2004; 70 FR 3889, Jan. 27, 2005; 70 FR 56127, Sept. 26, 
2005; 72 FR 2776, Jan. 23, 2007; 72 FR 18904, Apr. 16, 2007]