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Question:
When is correspondence submitted via the USPTO patent electronic filing system accorded a receipt date?
Answer:
Correspondence submitted via the USPTO patent electronic filing system will be accorded a receipt date, which is the date in Eastern Time when the correspondence is received in the Office without regard to whether that date is a Saturday, Sunday, or Federal holiday within the District of Columbia.
Chapter Details:
The answer to this question can be found in chapter 500 of the MPEP. This chapter covers Receipt and Handling of Mail and Papers.
The answer is from the 9th Edition, Revision 01.2024, Published November 2024. Depending on future changes to the MPEP, the question and answer may or may not be applicable in later Editions or revisions.
Section Summary:
This question and answer comes from section 505 of the MPEP. The following is a brief summary of section 505.
505 Date of Receipt Stamp
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office) stamps papers and fees received through the mail (other than those submitted by Express Mail), by facsimile, or via the USPTO patent electronic filing system with the date of their receipt in the Office. The stamp is referred to as the “Office Date” stamp.