MPEP § 1002.02 — Delegation of Authority To Decide Petitions
Ninth Edition, Revision 01.2024 · last revised R-07.2022
Petitions to the Director of the USPTO are decided in accordance with the following delegation of authority.
In any case in which the authority to decide the petition has been delegated as indicated in MPEP §§ 1002.02(b), 1002.02(f), 1002.02(g), 1002.02(j), 1002.02(o), and 1002.02(p), a denial of a petition is a final agency decision. A dismissal of a petition, a denial of a petition without prejudice, and other interlocutory orders are not final agency decisions.
Petitions decided by the Technology Center Directors are set forth in MPEP § 1002.02(c) et seq. A petition decided under the delegated authority set forth in MPEP § 1002.02(c) should not use language that suggests that it is a final agency decision. Therefore, a petition decided by a Technology Center Director in which the requested relief is not granted should be dismissed rather than denied. Additionally, the decision should indicate that it is not a final agency decision. To promote consistency and enhance clarity of petition decisions by Technology Center Directors, the following language may be used when a petition decided by a Technology Center Director is dismissed:
“The petition filed [date X] is dismissed. This is not a final agency decision. See MPEP § 1002.02. Any request for reconsideration or higher level review of this decision not filed within two months of the mailing date of this decision may be dismissed as untimely. This two-month period is not extendable. See 37 CFR 1.181(f).”
In accordance with 37 CFR 1.181(g), the authority to decide petitions to the Director of the USPTO not otherwise delegated, has been delegated to various Office officials. Generally, these officials will decide petitions as specified in the following sections for the effective operation of the Office. Also listed are certain petitions which are not, strictly speaking, to the Director of the USPTO but have been committed by statute or rule to the designated officials.
The delegation of specific petitions and/or matters to the Technology Center (TC) Directors is identified in the sections below. Unless specifically provided for in the letter of delegation of authority, further delegations are not permitted. Any petitions and/or matters so delegated by the TC Directors may be decided by the TC Directors.
Authority not herein delegated has been reserved to the Director of the USPTO and may be delegated to appropriate officials on an ad hoc basis.
Contents
- 1002.02(a) [Reserved]
- 1002.02(b) Petitions and Requests Decided by the Deputy Commissioner Who Oversees the Office of Petitions or Assigned Staff in the Office of Petitions, the Office of Patent Legal Administration and the MPEP Staff Office
- 1002.02(c) Petitions and Requests Decided by the Technology Center Directors
- 1002.02(d) Petitions and Matters Decided by Supervisory Patent Examiners
- 1002.02(e) [Reserved]
- 1002.02(f) Petitions and Matters Decided by the Chief Administrative Patent Judge of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board
- 1002.02(g) Petitions Decided by the Administrative Patent Judges
- 1002.02(h) [Reserved]
- 1002.02(i) Petitions Decided by the Commissioner for Trademarks
- 1002.02(j) Petitions Decided by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board
- 1002.02(k) Matters Decided by the General Counsel, the Office of General Law and the Solicitor
- 1002.02(l) Requests Decided by the Certificates of Correction Branch
- 1002.02(m) Petitions Decided by the Director of the Office of Enrollment and Discipline
- 1002.02(n) [Reserved]
- 1002.02(o) Petitions and Other Matters Decided by the Deputy Director of the USPTO
- 1002.02(p) Petitions and Matters Decided by the Director of International Patent Legal Administration
- 1002.02(q) Petitions and Requests Decided by the Director of Office of Patent Application Processing (OPAP)
- 1002.02(r) Petitions Decided by the Director of Office of Data Management
- 1002.02(s) Petitions and Matters Decided in the Technology Centers
- 1002.02(t) Requests Decided by the Deputy Commissioner for Patents who oversees the Office of Information Technology for Patents
Cited authority
- 1002.02(b) Petitions and Requests Decided by the Deputy Commissioner Who Oversees the Office of Petitions or Assigned Staff in the Office of Petitions, the Office of Patent Legal Administration and the MPEP Staff Office
- 1002.02(f) Petitions and Matters Decided by the Chief Administrative Patent Judge of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board
- 1002.02(g) Petitions Decided by the Administrative Patent Judges
- 1002.02(j) Petitions Decided by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board
- 1002.02(o) Petitions and Other Matters Decided by the Deputy Director of the USPTO
- 1002.02(p) Petitions and Matters Decided by the Director of International Patent Legal Administration
- 1002.02(c) Petitions and Requests Decided by the Technology Center Directors
- 37 CFR 1.181 Petition to the Director
Cited by
- 103 Right of Public To Inspect Patent Files and Some Application Files
- 1205.03 Non-Compliant Appeal Brief and Amended Brief
- 1211.01 Remand by Board for Further Consideration of Rejection
- 1308 Withdrawal From Issue
- 1850 Unity of Invention Before the International Searching Authority
- 714.01(e) Amendments Before First Office Action
- 715.04 Who May Make Affidavit or Declaration Under 37 CFR 1.131(a); Formal Requirements of Affidavits and Declarations