Patent Office Updates Regarding COVID-19

By Jeff Morton, Ph.D. and Charles Hauff Jr.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) considers the effects of COVID-19 to be an “extraordinary situation” and, as such, has issued various notices regarding COVID-19. This article summarizes many of those notices.

• Original Handwritten Signature Requirement Waived – the requirement for certain original handwritten signatures, such as in certain correspondence with the Office of Enrollment and Discipline and certain credit card payments, has been waived.
• The USPTO is closed to the public and events have been canceled and postponed.  The events page on USPTO.gov is the best place to find an up-to-date list of upcoming USPTO events. 
• Petition fees in certain situations for customers impacted by the coronavirus have been waived.
• While USPTO employees are, in many cases, still working at the USPTO office, interviews, oral hearings and in-person meetings, even before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) and Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), have been canceled until further notice. 

Those with official business with the USPTO should reach out to their points of contact with any questions or through the USPTO CONTACT US link.