Notifications related to Security issues and Emergencies
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Operating status for Washington DC area
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Current Department of Homeland
Security Threat Advisory Level >>
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Consolidated Source of U.S. Government Information
and Resources in Response to 9-11 Events
(12Sep2001)
Consolidated information, reporting procedures, resources and advisories provided by USA.gov. - [EMail - Virus Alert] Some E-mail "pretends" to be from USPTO / webmaster@uspto.gov (13May2002, updated 27Jan2007)
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Closing of the United States Patent and Trademark
Office on Friday, December 26, 2008 [signed 22 December
2008]
(23Dec2008)
[PDF]
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will be closed on Friday, December 26, 2008. Since Thursday, December 25, 2008, is a Federal holiday, the USPTO will consider both Thursday, December 25, 2008, and Friday, December 26, 2008, to be a “Federal holiday within the District of Columbia” under 35 U.S.C. § 21(b) and 37 C.F.R. §§ 1.6, 1.7, 1.9, 2.2(d), 2.195 and 2.196. ....... . READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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United States Postal Service Interruption and
Emergency under 35 U.S.C. 21(a) [signed 18 September
2008]
(29Sep2008)
[PDF]
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is designating the interruption in service of the United States Postal Service (USPS) in the areas affected by Hurricane Gustav in Louisiana and Texas beginning on August 30, 2008, and in the areas affected by Hurricane Ike in Florida, Louisiana and Texas beginning on September 7, 2008, as a postal service interruption and emergency .... READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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United States Postal Service Interruption and
Emergency under 35 U.S.C. 21(a) [signed 18 June
2008]
(23June2008)
[PDF]
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is designating the interruption in service of the United States Postal Service (USPS) in the areas affected by the flooding in Iowa, on June 9, 2008, as a postal service interruption .... READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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Termination of the United States Postal Service
Interruption and Emergency under 35 U.S.C. 21(a) [signed 15
February 2008]
(19Feb2008)
[PDF]
The Southern California Wildfires, on October 22, 2007, resulted in a number of United States Postal Service (USPS) post offices throughout southern California being closed or not accepting mail. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published a notice on Friday, October 26, 2007, on its Internet Web site... READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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Closing of the United States Patent and Trademark
Office on Monday, December 24, 2007 [signed 14 December
2007]
(14Dec2007)
[PDF]
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will be closed on Monday, December 24, 2007. Since Tuesday, December 25, 2007 is a Federal holiday, the USPTO will consider each of Monday, December 24, 2007 and Tuesday, December 25, 2007, to be a “Federal holiday within the District of Columbia” under 35 U.S.C. § 21(b) and 37 C.F.R. §§ 1.6, 1.7, 1.9, 2.2(d), 2.195 and 2.196. ....... . READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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United States Postal Service Interruption and
Emergency under 35 U.S.C. 21(a) [signed 25 October
2007]
(26Oct2007)
[PDF]
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is designating the interruption in service of the United States Postal Service (USPS) in the areas affected by the Wildfires in Southern California, on October 22, 2007, as a postal service interruption and an emergency within the meaning of 35 U.S.C. § 21(a) and 37 CFR 1.10(i) and 2.195(e). ....... . READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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Closing of the United States Patent and Trademark
Office on Tuesday, January 2, 2007 [signed 28 February
2007]
(29Dec2006)
[PDF]
In view of the official closing of the Federal Government offices in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), on Tuesday, January 2, 2007, the day proclaimed by President Bush as a National Day of Mourning, the United States Patent and Trademark Office will consider Tuesday, January 2, 2007 a "Federal holiday within the District of Columbia" under 35 U.S.C. § 21 and ....... . READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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United States Postal Service Interruption and
Emergency under 35 U.S.C. 21(a) [signed 02Nov2005]
(08Nov2005)
[PDF]
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is designating the interruption in service of the United States Postal Service (USPS) in the areas affected by Hurricane Wilma in Florida on October 24, 2005, as a postal service interruption and an emergency within the meaning of 35 U.S.C. § 21(a) and 37 CFR 1.10(i) and 2.195(e) ....... . READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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United States Postal Service Interruption and Emergency
under 35 U.S.C. 21(a) [signed 27Sept2005]
(28Sep2005)
[PDF]
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is designating the interruption in service of the United States Postal Service (USPS) in the areas affected by Hurricane Rita in Louisiana and Texas on September 23, 2005, as a postal service interruption and an emergency within the meaning of 35 U.S.C. § 21(a) and 37 CFR 1.10(i) and 2.195(e) ....... . READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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Office Actions and Notice of Allowances Previously Mailed
to Areas of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi Affected by
Hurricane Katrina [signed 15Sept2005]
(15Sep2005)
[PDF]
(This notice supercedes the one that was
signed 14Sep2005)
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) considers the effects of Hurricane Katrina to be an “extraordinary situation” within the meaning of 37 CFR 1.183 for the affected applicants. For applications pending in the office as of September 1, 2005 having a correspondence address in the affected areas of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, in which a reply to an Office action (final, non-final, or other), a notice of allowance ....... . READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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Patent Practitioners: Ethics FAQs for
Practitioners in Response to Hurricane Katrina
(13Sep2005)
Provides advice to patent practioners regarding ethics considerations for shared office arrangements and temporary displacement due to Hurricane Katrina.
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Petitions to Accept a Delayed Patent Maintenance Fee
Payment where Non-Payment was due to the effects of
Hurricane Katrina (09 Sep 2005)
(12Sep2005)
[PDF]
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) considers the effects of Hurricane Katrina to be an “extraordinary situation” within the meaning of 37 CFR 1.183 for the affected applicants and patentees. For those patentees who were unable to timely pay a patent maintenance fee due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina ....... . READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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United States Postal Service Interruption and Emergency
under 35 U.S.C. 21(a)
(02Sep2005)
[PDF]
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is designating the interruption in service of the United States Postal Service (USPS) in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida on August 28, 2005, as a postal service interruption and an emergency within the meaning of 35 U.S.C. § 21(a) and 37 CFR 1.10(i) and 2.195(e) ....... . READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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Contact Information for USPTO Customers Affected by
Hurricane Katrina
(01Sep2005)
USPTO customers in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina who have questions or problems regarding patent applications or other patent proceedings and trademark applications or registrations ....... . READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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United States Postal Service Interruption Notice to
Trademark Customers
(21Sep2004)
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is designating the interruption in service of the United States Postal Service (USPS) in the areas affected by a series of hurricanes that started with Hurricane Frances in Florida on September 3, 2004 as a postal service interruption and an emergency within the meaning of 35 U.S.C. § 21(a). Accordingly, 37 C.F.R. § 2.195(e) is in effect immediately for all trademark-related correspondence originating from the affected areas....... . READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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Closing of the United States Patent and Trademark
Office on Friday, June 11, 2004 (signed 10 June
2004)
(14Jun2004)
[PDF]
In view of the official closing of the Federal Government offices in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), on Friday, June 11, 2004, the day proclaimed by President Bush as a National Day of Mourning, the United States Patent and Trademark Office will consider Friday, June 11, 2004, a “Federal holiday within the District of Columbia” under 35 U.S.C. § 21 and 37 C.F.R. §§ 1.6, 1.7, 1.9, 2.2(d), 2.195, and 2.196....... . READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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Closing of the United States Patent and Trademark
Office on Thursday, September 18, 2003, and Friday, September
19, 2003 [signed 23 September 2003]
(25Sep2003)
In view of the official closing of the Federal Government offices in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), on Thursday, September 18, 2003, and Friday, September 19, 2003, the United States Patent and Trademark Office will consider Thursday, September 18, 2003, and Friday, September 19, 2003, a "Federal holiday within the District of Columbia" under 35 U.S.C. § 21 and 37 C.F.R. §§ 1.6, 1.7, 1.9, 2.2(d), 2.195, and 2.196.
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United States Postal Service Interruptions and
Emergency Terminated [signed 19 August 2003]
(19Aug03)
The power outage on Thursday, August 14, 2003, resulted in a number of United States Postal Service (USPS) post offices throughout the Northeast and Midwest United States being closed or not accepting mail. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published a notice on Friday, August 15, 2003...... . READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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United States Postal Service Interruptions
(15Aug03)
The United States Postal Service (USPS) has informed the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that as a result of the power outage on Thursday, August 14, 2003, a number of post offices throughout the Northeast and Midwest United States are closed or are not accepting mail...... . READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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Closing of the United States Patent and Trademark
Office on Tuesday, February 18, 2003
(26Feb2003)
In view of the official closing of the Federal Government offices in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including the United States Patent and Trademark Office, on Tuesday, February 18, 2003.
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[Mail - Q&A]
Questions and Answers Concerning Postal Service Emergencies (04Mar2002)
Answers to Frequently asked Questions..... . READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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Patent Applications submitted to the United States
Patent and Trademark Office between September 1, 2001 and
December 1, 2001 via the United States Postal
Service
(12Mar2002)
The fiscal year 2002 patent application filing rate is currently less than anticipated by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The USPTO suspects that this decrease may be due to postal service delays caused by increased security procedures related to the discovery of anthrax in a Washington DC mail facility..... . READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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Memos Regarding Mail Delays from Deputy Commissioner
for Patent Examination Policy to TC Directors
(15Feb2002)
On February 15, 2002, Memos I and II (attached PDFs) were sent by Stephen G. Kunin, Deputy Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy to the Patent Examining Corps Directors setting forth the Office policies for resetting and remailing Office actions (or notices) due to (both incoming and outgoing) mail delays..... . READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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Letter from Commissoner of Patents Godici to
Registered Practitioners
(17Jan2002)
On January 16, 2002, Nicholas Godici, Commissioner for Patents, signed a letter that will be mailed to all registered patent practitioners..... . READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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Processing of, and Requirements for, the Filing of
Duplicate Applications and Papers in Patent Applications in
view of USPS Mail Delays
(21Dec2001)
Although mailed correspondence is being received by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office), many papers that were mailed by first class mail or Express Mail through the United States Postal Service (USPS) in October and November of 2001 have had their delivery delayed.
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Closing of the United States Patent and Trademark
Office on Monday, December 24, 2001
(13Dec2001)
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will be closed on Monday, December 24, 2001. Since Tuesday, December 25, 2001 is a Federal holiday, the USPTO will consider each of Monday, December 24, 2001, and Tuesday, December 25, 2001, to be a "Federal holiday within the District of Columbia".:... . READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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Notice Concerning Deposit Account
Replenishments
(11Dec2001)
USPTO advises all deposit account holders to utilize the USPTO online services to monitor balances and to replenish deposit accounts by credit card or Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT).:... . READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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Termination of Suspension of Express Mail of USPS for
mail addressed to ZIP 202xx thru 205xx
(06Dec2001)
On Thursday, November 29, 2001, the USPS indicated that this suspension of Express Mail service has been terminated.:... . READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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Questions and Answers Concerning Express Mail
Temporary Address
(05Dec2001)
On Friday, November 16, 2001, the United States Postal Service (USPS) temporarily and immediately suspended Express Mail service to Washington, D.C., ZIP Codes 202xx through 205xx (e.g., 20231). On Tuesday, November 20, 2001, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) posted a notice ...The USPTO received the following questions concerning the above-mentioned notice :... . READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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Office of Enrollment and Discipline Address
Change
(21Nov2001)
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) since October 21, 2001, has been experiencing an interruption in delivery of United States Mail sent to the 20231 zip code. ... In view of the foregoing, OED is requesting that all mail for enrollment and disciplinary matters be addressed to the following new address.
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[Express Mail - Temporary Address]
Notification Related to United States Postal Service Interruption (20Nov2001)On Friday, November 16, 2001, the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of the United States Postal Service (USPS) issued a memorandum temporarily and immediately suspending Express Mail service to Washington, D.C., ZIP Codes 202xx through 205xx (e.g., 20231) . ..... READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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[Use of Mail, FAX, E-Mail & Other Delivery methods]
Mitigation of Delays in Mail Deliveries to the USPTO (09Nov2001)The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) since October 21, 2001, has been experiencing an interruption in delivery of United States Mail sent to our 20231 zip code. The USPTO has received very little correspondence sent to the 20231 zip code in the past few weeks. In view of these circumstances..... READ FULL NOTICE>>>
- USPTO Tests Negative for Anthrax (05Nov2001)
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The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is pleased to announce that, over the weekend, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that all 88 samples taken at the USPTO tested negative for Anthrax. ... READ FULL NOTICE>>>
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United States Postal Service Interruptions and
Emergency Terminated
(31Oct2001)
The tragic events in New York City on September 11, 2001, resulted in all Post Offices in the borough of Manhattan being closed. Currently, only the Church Street Post Office in Manhattan remains closed as a result of the events of September 11, 2001, and all other Post Offices throughout Manhattan are open for business.
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Notice Concerning Safety of USPTO Mailings - UPDATE
(25Oct2001)
As has been previously announced, non-trademark communications mailed from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) before October 20, 2001, were routed through the U.S. Postal Service's Brentwood Sorting Station in Washington, D.C., where workers are diagnosed as having contracted anthrax. On October 22, 2001, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) advised us that it was highly unlikely that mail passing through the Brentwood postal facility was contaminated and poses any threat.. ... READ FULL NOTICE >>>
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Notice Concerning Safety of USPTO Mailings
(24Oct2001)
In response to inquiries that the Office has received from its customers, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has obtained reassurance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) about the safety of mailings from the USPTO. ... READ FULL NOTICE >>>
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Notice of U.S. Postal Service Interruptions
(13Sep2001)
The United States Postal Service (USPS) has informed the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that as a result of the tragic event in New York City on September 11, 2001, all post offices in the borough of Manhattan are closed on September 12, 2001. These post offices will remain closed until further notice.
The USPTO is designating the interruption in the service of the USPS in the borough of Manhattan as a postal service interruption and an emergency within the meaning of 35 U.S.C. 21(a). Accordingly, the USPTO will consider the provisions of 37 C.F.R. 1.6(e) as now in effect. As soon as the USPTO receives further information from the USPS as to when postal services in the borough of Manhattan will be resumed, the USPTO will post the information on the USPTO website at www.uspto.gov and a final notice will be published in the Official Gazette regarding the postal interruption in New York City.
It would be appreciated if members of the public would bring to the USPTO's attention any other post office closings related to current events. Such information can be brought to the USPTO's attention by contacting Eugenia Jones by e-mail at eugenia.jones@uspto.gov or telephone at 703-306-5586, or by contacting Carol Smith by e-mail at carol.smith@uspto.gov or by telephone at 703-308-8910 (ext 149).... READ FULL NOTICE >>>
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Notice of USPTO Closure and Designation of September
11, 2001 under 35 U.S.C. § 21(b) for Purpose of
Determining Timeliness of Actions or Fees
(11Sep2001)
The United States Patent and Trademark Office, as of approximately 10:30 a.m., September 11, 2001, has been closed for official business as a result of an order by the Office of Personnel Management. In the emergency situation of this day, the Patent and Trademark Office will consider September 11 a "federal holiday within the District of Columbia" under 35 U.S.C. § 21(b). Although normally the Patent and Trademark Office does not consider days on which the agency is closed for only part of the day as a federal holiday, it is making an exception for the unusual circumstances of this date. As a result of the closing of public transportation and particular circumstances in the immediate vicinity of the Office, parties are discouraged from coming to the Patent and Trademark Office in order to make filings on September 11.
Any action or fee due on September 11, 2001, will be considered as timely for the purposes of, e.g., 35 U.S.C §§ 119, 120, 133 and 151, if the action is taken, or the fee paid, on the next succeeding business day on which the Patent and Trademark Office is open. 37 C.F.R. § 1.6(a)(2) provides that correspondence deposited as Express Mail in accordance with 37 C.F.R. § 1.10 will be considered filed on the date of its deposit. TEXT & IMAGE OF ORIGINAL SIGNED DOCUMENT >>>

