Manual of Patent Examining Procedure - MPEP

Table of Contents

Previous section

600 Parts, Form, and Content of Application

608.02(w) Drawing Changes Which May Be Made Without Applicant's Annotated Sheets

Where an application is ready for issue except for a slight defect in the drawing not involving change in structure, the examiner will prepare a letter to the applicant indicating the change to be made and include a marked-up copy of the drawing showing the addition or alteration to be made. The marked-up copy of the drawing should be attached to the letter to the applicant and a copy placed in the application file .

The correction must be made at applicant's expense.

As a guide to the examiner, the following corrections are illustrative of those that may be made by an annotated sheet :

(A) Adding two or three reference characters or exponents.

(B) Changing one or two numerals or figure ordinals. Garrett v. Cox, 233 F.2d 343, 346, 110 USPQ 52, 54 (CCPA 1956).

(C) Removing superfluous matter.

(D) Adding or reversing directional arrows.

(E) Changing Roman Numerals to Arabic Numerals to agree with specification.

(F) Adding section lines or brackets, where easily executed.

(G) Changing lead lines.

(H) Correcting misspelled legends.

Next section