Correspondence with Patent Owner; Patent Owner Address

The correspondence address of record for the patent for

which supplemental examination is requested is the correct address for all notices,

official letters, and other communications for patent owners in supplemental examination

proceedings. This is consistent with reexamination practice.

See, e.g.,

37 CFR

1.33(c)

. For this reason, the correspondence address of record

in the file of the patent for which supplemental examination is

requested

will be utilized by the Office as the address of the patent owner when mailing any

communications in supplemental examination proceedings, and in any resulting

ex

parte

reexamination proceedings.

If the patent owner desires the Office to send correspondence

to a registered attorney or agent other than the attorney or agent of record in the file of

the patent for which reexamination is requested, then a new power of attorney must be filed

in

both

: 1) the file of the patent for which supplemental examination is

requested;

and

2) the file of the supplemental examination proceeding, or, if

reexamination is ordered, in the resulting

ex parte

reexamination

proceeding. Patent owners are strongly encouraged to use form PTO/AIA/81B when submitting a

power of attorney and/or change of correspondence address in a supplemental examination

proceeding or a reexamination proceeding.

After a request for supplemental examination has been filed,

and/or after any

ex parte

reexamination resulting from the supplemental

examination has been ordered, any submissions to the Office to change the power of attorney

or the correspondence address should be addressed as set forth in

MPEP §

2806

. Use of form PTO/AIA/81B is encouraged. If, however, the

supplemental examination proceeding and any resulting reexamination proceeding is no longer

pending, then such submissions should be addressed to Mail Stop Post Issue, Director of the

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450

orney

or the correspondence address should be addressed as set forth in

MPEP §

2806

. Use of form PTO/AIA/81B is encouraged. If, however, the

supplemental examination proceeding and any resulting reexamination proceeding is no longer

pending, then such submissions should be addressed to Mail Stop Post Issue, Director of the

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.

A submission requesting a change of correspondence address

may be signed by all of the patent owners (see

MPEP §

2803

) or by the registered attorney or agent of record

in the file of the patent

under supplemental examination. If the

application which became the patent under supplemental examination was filed on or after

September 12, 2012, a patent practitioner acting in a representative capacity whose

correspondence address is the correspondence address of record

in the file of

the patent

under supplemental examination may file a change of

correspondence address, provided that the change of correspondence address is accompanied

by a statement in accordance with

37 CFR 1.33(g)

.

Papers filed on behalf of patent owners must be signed by

the patent owners, by the registered attorney or agent of record in the patent file, or by

any registered attorney or agent acting in a representative capacity under

37 CFR

1.34

. See

MPEP § 2804

. Double correspondence with

the patent owner and the attorney or agent will not normally be undertaken by the

Office.

The following is a copy of form PTO/AIA/81B, which may be

used for changing a power of attorney and/or a correspondence address in a supplemental

examination proceeding and, if desired, simultaneously in the file of the patent.

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