# MPEP § 106: Control of Inspection by Assignee

> Federal · Agency guidance · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/MPEP_S106

## Section

- **Citation:** MPEP § 106
- **Heading:** Control of Inspection by Assignee
- **Jurisdiction:** Federal
- **Kind:** Agency guidance
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** August 14, 2026
- **Source:** Compiled text
- **Location:** USPTO MPEP / Chapter 0100 - Secrecy, Access, National Security, and Foreign Filing / MPEP § 106

## Text

The applicant or assignee of record of the entire interest in an
application may file an application or intervene in the prosecution of the application,
appointing an attorney or agent of his or her own choice. See
37 CFR 1.46
and
3.71
. Such an application filing or intervention, however, does not
exclude the inventor from access to the application to see that it is being prosecuted
properly, unless the applicant or assignee makes specific request to that effect. Any
request to prevent the inventor from obtaining access to the file should be filed as a
separate paper,
37 CFR
1.4(c)
, and should be directed to the Office of Petitions. If the
request is granted, the inventor will be informed that he or she will only be permitted to
inspect the application on sufficient showing why such inspection is necessary to conserve
his or her rights. Of course, after the application has published pursuant to
35 U.S.C.
122(b)
, the application will be available to the public and any
restriction on the inventor to access his or her application previously granted will no
longer be in effect.

## Nearby sections

- [MPEP § 101 General](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/MPEP_S101.md)
- [MPEP § 102 Information as to Status of an Application](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/MPEP_S102.md)
- [MPEP § 103 Right of Public To Inspect Patent Files and Some Application Files](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/MPEP_S103.md)
- [MPEP § 104 Power to Inspect Application](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/MPEP_S104.md)
- [MPEP § 105 Suspended or Excluded Practitioner Cannot Inspect](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/MPEP_S105.md)
- [MPEP § 106 Control of Inspection by Assignee](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/MPEP_S106.md)
- [MPEP § 106.01 Rights of Assignee of Part Interest](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/MPEP_S106.01.md)
- [MPEP § 110 Confidential Nature of International Applications](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/MPEP_S110.md)
- [MPEP § 115 Review of Applications for National Security and Property Rights Issues](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/MPEP_S115.md)
- [MPEP § 120 Secrecy Orders](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/MPEP_S120.md)
- [MPEP § 121 Handling of Applications under Secrecy Order and/or Bearing National Security Markings](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/MPEP_S121.md)
- [MPEP § 130 Examination of Secrecy Order Cases](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/MPEP_S130.md)
- [MPEP § 140 Foreign Filing Licenses](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/MPEP_S140.md)
- [MPEP § 150 Statements to DOE and NASA](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/MPEP_S150.md)

---

Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/MPEP_S106. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.