Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP)

Eighth Edition, August 2001

Latest Revision August 2012

The USPTO continues to offer an online discussion tool for commenting on selected chapters of the Manual. To participate in the discussion and to contribute your ideas go to: http://uspto-mpep.ideascale.com.

Note: For current fees, refer to the Current USPTO Fee Schedule.

Consolidated Laws - the latest published version of the patent laws (Appendix L of the MPEP or Consolidated Patent Laws, whichever is more current). Updating of the Index (page L-99+) is in progress. April 2013

Consolidated Rules - the latest published version of the patent rules (Appendix R of the MPEP or Consolidated Patent Rules, whichever is more current). Updating of Index I (page R-240+) and Index II (page R-307+) is in progress. May 2013

How to obtain a copy of the MPEP

MPEP Archives (1948 - 2010)

Current MPEP:

Searchable MPEP * new

• See the user manual or quick reference guide for help with search features (e.g., default operators, proximity searches, and wild cards) and navigation.

The documents updated in Revision 9 of the Eighth Edition of the MPEP, dated August 2012, are the following: Blue Pages; Title Page; Chapters 500, 600, 700, 1200, 1400, and 2100; Appendix L, Appendix R, Appendix II; and the Index.

The PDF and html documents are available below. Note that the changes resulting from system updates necessitated file name changes for the static PDF and HTML files, which in turn required updates to indexes used by third party search providers. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

Blue       PDF

Title Page      PDF

Foreword      PDF

Introduction       PDF

Chapter 0100 -   PDF  Secrecy, Access, National Security, and Foreign Filing

Chapter 0200 -   PDF  Types, Cross-Noting, and Status of Application

Chapter 0300 -   PDF  Ownership and Assignment

Chapter 0400 -   PDF  Representative of Inventor or Owner

Chapter 0500 -   PDF  Receipt and Handling of Mail and Papers

Chapter 0600 -   PDF  Parts, Form, and Content of Application

Chapter 0700 -   PDF  Examination of Applications

Chapter 0800 -   PDF   Restriction in Applications Filed Under 35 U.S.C. 111; Double Patenting

Chapter 0900 -   PDF  Prior Art, Classification, and Search

Chapter 1000 -   PDF  Matters Decided by Various U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Officials

Chapter 1100 -   PDF  Statutory Invention Registration (SIR) and Pre-Grant Publication (PG Pub)

Chapter 1200 -   PDF  Appeal

Chapter 1300 -   PDF  Allowance and Issue

Chapter 1400 -   PDF  Correction of Patents

Chapter 1500 -   PDF   Design Patents

Chapter 1600 -   PDF  Plant Patents

Chapter 1700 -   PDF  Miscellaneous

Chapter 1800 -   PDF  Patent Cooperation Treaty

Chapter 1900 -   PDF  Protest

Chapter 2000 -   PDF  Duty of Disclosure

Chapter 2100 -   PDF  Patentability

Chapter 2200 -   PDF  Citation of Prior Art and Ex Parte Reexamination of Patents

Chapter 2300 -   PDF  Interference Proceedings

Chapter 2400 -   PDF  Biotechnology

Chapter 2500 -   PDF  Maintenance Fees

Chapter 2600 -   PDF  Optional Inter Partes Reexamination

Chapter 2700 -   PDF  Patent Terms and Extensions

Appendix I -   PDF  Partial List of Trademarks

Appendix II -   PDF  List of Decisions Cited

Appendix L -   PDF  Patent Laws

Appendix R -   PDF  Patent Rules

Appendix T -   PDF  Patent Cooperation Treaty

Appendix AI -   PDF  Administrative Instructions Under the PCT

Appendix P -    PDF  Paris Convention

Subject Matter Index      PDF

Form Paragraphs      PDF

Zipped version of the MPEP E8r9 in the PDF format - E8r9 PDFs

“The PDF files on this site are not fully accessible.  While we make every effort to ensure that all the files are fully 508 compliant, we urge you to contact us if you notice any other accessibility issues.  In the interim, we have included a link to the HTML version of the content which is 508 compliant.”