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DOC/PTO RIN: 0651-AC95 Publication ID: Spring 2015 
Title: Changes to Facilitate Applicants Authorization of Access for Unpublished U.S. Applications to Foreign Intellectual Property Offices 
Abstract: The electronic sharing of information and documents between intellectual property (IP) offices is critical for increasing the efficiency and quality of patent examination worldwide. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office) is proposing to amend its rules of practice to expressly permit applicants to provide the Office with authority to give a foreign IP office access to all or part of the file contents of an application. This authorization would allow the Office to provide the foreign IP office with the relevant contents of an application to satisfy a requirement imposed on the applicant by the foreign IP office as a result of a foreign counterpart application having been filed. By the Office providing the foreign IP office with the required document(s) or information on applicants behalf, the applicant would not need to expend resources (e.g., time, money, etc.) to provide the document(s) or information to the foreign IP office. Under the proposed rules, information sharing would be limited to those foreign IP offices in which applicant has filed a counterpart application and provided written authority for access to all or a portion of the application. 
Agency: Department of Commerce(DOC)  Priority: Substantive, Nonsignificant 
RIN Status: Previously published in the Unified Agenda Agenda Stage of Rulemaking: Final Rule Stage 
Major: No  Unfunded Mandates: No 
CFR Citation: 37 CFR 1.1   
Legal Authority: 35 U.S.C. 122    35 U.S.C. 2(b)(2)    5 U.S.C. 553   
Legal Deadline:  None
Timetable:
Action Date FR Cite
NPRM  07/11/2014  79 FR 40036   
NPRM Comment Period End  09/09/2014 
Final Rule  06/00/2015 
Final Rule Effective  08/00/2015 
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: No  Government Levels Affected: None 
Small Entities Affected: No  Federalism: No 
Included in the Regulatory Plan: No 
RIN Data Printed in the FR: No 
Agency Contact:
Raul Tamayo
Department of Commerce
Patent and Trademark Office
600 Dulany Street, P.O. Box 1450,
Alexandria, VA 22313
Phone:571 272-7728
Fax:571 273-7728
Email: raul.tamayo@uspto.gov