Patent and Trademark Office April 7, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office) is proposing changes to the rules of practice concerning persons acting with limited recognition in a patent matter, the filing of the English translation of foreign-language provisional applications, and the submission of evidence ownership when an assignee takes action in a patent matter. The Office is proposing changes to the rules of practice to allow a person acting with limited recognition to be given a power of attorney and authorized to sign amendments and other correspondence respecting patent applications, reexamination proceedings, and other proceedings. A person granted limited recognition is not a registered patent attorney or agent. The Office is also proposing changes to the rules of practice to require that a copy of the English translation of a foreign-language provisional application be filed in the provisional application (rather than in either the provisional application or the nonprovisional application) if a non-provisional application claims the benefit of the provisional application. In addition, the Office is proposing changes to require that a copy of documentary evidence of ownership be recorded in the Office's assignment records when an assignee takes action in a patent matter, and that separate copies of a document be submitted to the Office for recording in the Office's assignment records, each accompanied by a cover sheet, if the document to be recorded includes an interest in, or a transaction involving, both patents and trademarks.