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508.03 Unmatched Papers [R-8] - 500 Receipt and Handling of Mail and Papers
508.03 Unmatched Papers [R-8]
For Image File Wrapper (IFW) processing, see IFW Manual. Effective December 1, 2003, no official paper which relates to a pending application may be personally delivered to a Technology Center (TC) except papers that are directed to an application subject to a secrecy order pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 181, or are national security classified and that are directed to Licensing and Review. See MPEP § 502. Unmatched papers for nonprovisional applications (maintained in paper application files) within a TC should be frequently reviewed to determine which should be sent to the Paper Correlating Office (PCO).
Item I below treats the papers in the "Application number too high" category. Items II-VI below are directed to all other unmatched papers not in the "Application number too high" category.
I. UNMATCHED PAPERS IN THE "APPLICATION NUMBER TOO HIGH" CATEGORY
This collection of papers being held by the TC should be reviewed at least once a week. Any paper having an application number which clearly should have already been received by the TC should be removed from this collection. Where the TC does not have a corresponding application for any of these papers, inquiry should be made of the Office of **>Patent Application Processing (OPAP)< to determine the TC of record. If another TC number is indicated, the paper should be forwarded to that TC. If *>OPAP< does not yield a new TC number for the indicated application number, the paper should be sent to the PCO.
II. UNMATCHED PAPERS HAVING AN APPLICATION NUMBER
It can be assumed that either the TC number or the application number on these papers is incorrect. Inquiry should be made of the *>OPAP< and PALM to determine the TC of record and the procedure set out in paragraph I above followed. An exception to this practice should be made where the paper has thereon the name of an examiner in the TC. In these situations, a careful check of the TC records and files as well as consultation with the indicated examiner should be made to determine the correct application number. If this does not yield a new application number, the paper should be sent to the PCO.
III. UNMATCHED PAPERS RELATING TO APPLICATIONS ABANDONED FROM TC
The application file should be ordered from Files Repository. If the file is not received therefrom, the paper should be forwarded to the PCO.
IV. PAPERS FOR APPLICATIONS WHICH HAVE BEEN SENT TO **>THE OFFICE OF DATA MANAGEMENT<
All papers for applications which PALM indicates to be located in any of the locations 7400 through 7650 should be forwarded to the **>Office of Data Management<.
The instructions of this paragraph (IV) apply to all files in issue including those which have been assigned a patent number and issue date. Papers requiring examiner review and action will be returned to the TC after **>the Office of Data Management< personnel have matched the paper to the appropriate file.
V. PAPERS FOR APPLICATIONS WHICH HAVE BEEN SENT TO THE FILE INFORMATION UNIT (RECORD ROOM)
If PALM indicates that the application to which a paper relates is in the File Information Unit (Record Room) (location code 9210), the paper should be forwarded to the PCO for response.
VI. UNMATCHED PAPERS FOR APPLICATIONS WHICH ARE KNOWN TO BE PENDING IN THE TC BUT CANNOT BE LOCATED
Generally, these are applications which PALM indicates are present in the TC, but the file is not available. These papers should be retained in the TC for processing.
Each paper sent to the PCO must have a PCO Transmittal Form stapled thereto. Each form attached to a paper should be filled out as completely as possible. Transmittal Forms attached to papers of the type described in paragraph I and paragraph II above must have an indication of the information obtained from both *>OPAP< and PALM. The PALM information should be inserted in the large space at the bottom of the form. This will help eliminate duplication of effort by PCO personnel. Papers received without transmittal forms or with incompletely filled out transmittal forms may be returned to the originating TC.
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