Quick Guide to Common Patent and Trademark Related Citations: 

The Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP) 

• United States Patent and Trademark Office, Manual of Patent Examining Procedure § 2163(I) (9th ed., rev. July 2022 [hereinafter MPEP], http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/index.html. 

Issued Patents and Trademarks. T1.2.

• Issued Patents. In the parenthetical(s), include use filed and/or issued date, depending on what makes sense in context. Author may also use “Column:Line(s)” pincites. The following are all acceptable citations. 
  • Cryptographic Commc'ns Sys. & Method, U.S. Patent No. 4,405,829 col. 2 l. 30 (filed Dec. 14, 1977) (issued Sept. 20, 1983). 
  • U.S. Patent No. 4,405,829 col. 2, l. 30 (filed Dec. 14, 1977). 
  • U.S. Pat. No. 4,405,829, 2:30–32 (filed Dec. 14, 1977).
• Issued Trademarks.
  • GOLDEN OREO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 2961410 (issued June 7, 2005).  

Patent and Trademark Applications. 

• Patent Applications. 
  • U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 12/341,910 (filed Dec. 11, 2005).
  • U.S. Pat. App. No. 12/341,910 (filed Dec. 11, 2005).
• Trademark Applications. 
  • U.S. Trademark Application Serial No. 77/341,910 (filed Dec. 1, 2007).
  • U.S. TM App. No. 77/341,910 (filed Dec. 1, 2007).
• Pre-Grant Publications (PG-PUBs). 
  • U.S. Pre-Grant Pub’l. No. 2007/0035812 [0002] (published Feb. 15, 2007). 
  • U.S. PG-PUB US 2007/0035812 at [0002].

PTAB/TTAB Decisions. 

• SAP Am., Inc. v. Versata Dev. Grp., Inc., No. CBM2012-00001 (P.T.A.B. June 11, 2013).
• Ex parte Baggett, No. 2007-2648 (B.P.A.I. Mar. 10, 2008).
• Ex parte Fallaux, No. 2008-2251, 2008 WL 2463014 (B.P.A.I. June 17, 2008).
• Bos. Red Sox Baseball Club, Ltd. v. Sherman, 88 U.S.P.Q.2d (BL) 1581 (T.T.A.B. 2008).
• In re Jolles, 628 F.2d 1322, (C.C.P.A. 1967)
• Commissioner Reports. 
  • Ex parte Latimer, 1889 Dec. Comm'r Pat. 123.

Office Communications.

From the Office

• Non-Final Office Actions.
  • Non-Final Office Action dated Oct. 3, 2010, U.S. Patent App. No. 12/123,321 at 5:11–55.
  • See Non-Final Act. 6:1–10.
• Final Office Actions.
  • Final Office Action dated Jan. 3, 2011, U.S. Pat. App. No. 12/123,321 at 2:1–10.
  • Final Act. 6:1–10.
  • “U.S. Patent App.” is an appropriate abbreviation for “U.S. Patent Application”
• Notice of Allowance.
  • Notice of Allowance dated Oct. 24, 2005, U.S. Patent App. No. 11/079,670.

To the Office

• Appeal Brief. 
  • Appeal Brief dated Apr 3, 2005, U.S. Patent App. No. 11/079,670. 
  • Appeal Br. 17.
• Atty Responses to OA. 
  • Response to Office Action dated Apr 3, 2004, U.S. Patent App. No. 11/079,670.
• Etc, including Appeal Brief, Response Brief, Response to Petition. 
  • Short Description Of Whatever It Is dated Sept 19, 2006, U.S. Patent App. No. 11/079,670.

PTO Memorandum. 

• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Formulating a Subject Matter Eligibility Rejection and Evaluating the Applicant's Response to a Subject Matter Eligibility Rejection (May 4, 2016).
  • May 2016 Memorandum at 3.

Federal Register Notices. R14.2. 

• 2019 Revised Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Guidance Notice, 84 Fed. Reg. 50 (Jan. 7, 2019) (“2019 PEG”). 
• 2014 Interim Guidance on Patent Subject Matter Eligibility, 79 Fed. Reg. 74,619 (Dec. 16, 2014). 
• October 2019 Update: Subject Matter Eligibility, available at https://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/documents/peg_oct_2019_update.pdf.

All other citations should follow The Bluebook (21st) recommended formatting.  

Publication Date: 2020