MPEP § 1004 — Actions Which Require the Attention of a Primary Examiner
Ninth Edition, Revision 01.2024 · last revised R-10.2019
Existing practice requires the primary examiner to be personally responsible for the following actions:
1. Allowances (MPEP § 1302.13).
2. Examiner’s amendments (MPEP § 1302.04).
3. Quayle actions (MPEP § 714.14).
4. Final rejections (MPEP § 706.07).
5. Final Office actions containing a final requirement for restriction (MPEP § 803.01).
6. Withdrawal of final rejection (MPEP §§ 706.07(d) and 706.07(e)).
7. Actions on amendments submitted after final rejection (MPEP § 714.12).
8. All examiner’s answers on appeal (MPEP § 1207).
9. Actions reopening prosecution (MPEP § 1214.07).
10. Entry of amendments under 37 CFR 1.312 that are directed merely to formal matters or the cancellation of claims (MPEP § 714.16).
11. Rejection of a previously allowed claim (MPEP § 706.04).
12. Holding of abandonment for insufficient reply (MPEP § 711.03(a)).
13. Decision on affidavits or declarations (for example, under 37 CFR 1.130(a) (MPEP § 717.01(a) et seq.), 37 CFR 1.130(b) (MPEP § 717.01(b) et seq.), 37 CFR 1.131(a) (MPEP § 715.08), 37 CFR 1.131(c) (MPEP § 718), or 37 CFR 1.132 (MPEP § 716)).
14. First request for suspension of examiner’s action (MPEP § 709).
15. Decision on reissue oath or declaration (MPEP § 1414).
16. International Preliminary Examination Reports (MPEP § 1879).
17. Classification of allowed cases (MPEP § 903.07).
18. Treatment of newly filed application which obviously fails to comply with 35 U.S.C. 112 (MPEP § 702.01).
19. Consideration of the advisability of a patentability report (MPEP § 705.01(a)).
20. Requests filed prior to September 16, 2012 under 37 CFR 1.48 for correction of inventorship or to accept amendments, statements, or oaths or declarations under 37 CFR 1.48 (See MPEP § 602.01(c)(3) in Revision 08.2017 of the Ninth Edition of the MPEP, published in January 2018).
21. Actions suggesting claims for interference purposes (MPEP §§ 2304.04, 2304.04(b)). Note that the examiner should consult with a Technology Center Practice Specialist (TCPS), MPEP § 2304.04.
22. Actions involving copied patent claims (MPEP § 2304.04(b).
23. Suggesting an interference (MPEP § 2304.04).
24. Calling Administrative Patent Judge’s attention to a discovered reference which makes a claim corresponding to a count unpatentable.
For matters decided by supervisory patent examiners, see MPEP § 1002.02(d).
For a list of actions that are to be submitted to the Technology Center Directors, see MPEP §§ 1002.02(c) and 1003.
Cited authority
- 1302.13 Signing
- 1302.04 Examiner’s Amendments and Changes
- 714.14 Amendments After Allowance of All Claims
- 706.07 Final Rejection
- 803.01 Review by Examiner with at Least Partial Signatory Authority
- 706.07(d) Final Rejection, Withdrawal of, Premature
- 706.07(e) Withdrawal of Final Rejection, General
- 714.12 Amendments and Other Replies After Final Rejection or Action
- 1207 Examiner’s Answer
- 1214.07 Reopening of Prosecution
- 37 CFR 1.312 Amendments after allowance
- 714.16 Amendment After Notice of Allowance, 37 CFR 1.312
- 706.04 Rejection of Previously Allowed Claims
- 711.03(a) Holding Based on Insufficiency of Reply
- 37 CFR 1.130 Affidavit or declaration of attribution or prior public disclosure under the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act
- 717.01(a) Declarations or Affidavits under 37 CFR 1.130(a) – Attribution
- 717.01(b) Declarations or Affidavits under 37 CFR 1.130(b) – Prior Public Disclosure
- 37 CFR 1.131 Affidavit or declaration of prior invention or to disqualify commonly owned patent or published application as prior art
- 715.08 Decided by Primary Examiner
- 718 Affidavit or Declaration to Disqualify Commonly Owned Patent as Prior Art, 37 CFR 1.131(c)
- 37 CFR 1.132 Affidavits or declarations traversing rejections or objections
- 716 Affidavits or Declarations Under 37 CFR 1.132 and Other Evidence Traversing Rejections
- 709 Suspension of Action
- 1414 Content of Reissue Oath/Declaration
- 1879 Preparation of the International Preliminary Examination Report
- 903.07 Classifying and Cross-Referencing Design and Plant Applications at Allowance
- 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA) Specification
- 702.01 Obviously Informal Cases
- 705.01(a) Nature of P.R., Its Use and Disposal
- 2304.04 Examiner Suggestion
- 2304.04(b) Requiring a Claim
- 1002.02(d) Petitions and Matters Decided by Supervisory Patent Examiners
- 1002.02(c) Petitions and Requests Decided by the Technology Center Directors
- 1003 Matters Submitted to Technology Center Directors