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1004 Actions Which Require the Attention of a Primary Examiner [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.