The “User Pass” question relates to “REGULATIONS FOR THE PUBLIC USE OF RECORDS IN THE PATENT SEARCH ROOM OF THE U.S. PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE”, MPEP Section 510. A previous poster on this thread mentioned it, and I remember seeing the same (or similar) question. (This was pretty easy to find by looking up “User Pass” in the MPEP index.) If you want to find the answer read through the portion of 510 that discusses the rules for using the Technology Center area. The question relates to things like “do you leave material out for someone else to put back?” “Who do you sign in with? (i.e. the director or a secretary or something like that.)
User pass – know it should be prominently displayed when searching the Tech Center
Subject matter that is out of left field. For example, I had a question related to Chapter 900 (Prior Art, Classification, Search), which is never tested and not covered in the review courses, that had answers having to do with displaying a user pass in the TC search facility, when you could remove patent publications from their shoes, whether you should reshelve materials yourself or leave them for contract staff to handle, etc. I am almost certain this is a beta question.
Another administrative question –
Who to contact question
Asked about who to contact when you are filing petition under CFR 1. 183 (Suspension of Rules)?
1002.01 Procedure
Petitions, together with the respective application files, are sent to the official having the delegated authority to decide the petition.
1002.02 goes on to say… “In accordance with 37 CFR 1.181(g), the authority to decide petitions to the Director of the USPTO … has been delegated to various Office officials. Generally, these officials will decide petitions as specified in the following sections for the effective operation of the Office.”
Immediately following that is a 34 item listing of all the petitions that are decided by the “Office of the Deputy Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy” A subsequent list of petitions decided by the “Technology Center Directors”, and finally, the Primary Examiner gets to decide just one petition: Correction of Inventorship
1002.02(b) Petitions and Requests Decided
by the Office of the Deputy
Commissioner for Patent Examination
Policy [R-2]
All petitions decided by the Office of the Deputy
Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy
[. . .]
2. Petitions under 37 CFR 1.183 for waiver or suspension
of rules not otherwise provided for.
Here is some information.
1) Director of USPTO (=the Office of the Deputy Commissioner): Suspension of rule, Maintenance fee paid without patent number (2 months), Filing date of Provisional and Non provisional
2) Technology Center Director: Restriction requirement, Design (including filing date of design)
3) Primary examiner: Correction of Inventorship
Info on a USER PASS:
MPEP 510 U.S. Patent and Trademark OfficeBusiness Hours [R-8]
II.REGULATIONS FOR THE PUBLIC USE OF RECORDS IN THE PATENT SEARCH ROOM OF THE USPTO
The USPTO has established procedures and regula¬tions for using the facilities of the Patent Search Room. The procedures for the Search Room include the requirement that users obtain and show, prior to entering the Search Room facilities, a User Pass. This pass can be obtained from the Office of Security next door to the Public Search Facility located on the first floor of the Madison East Building, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. User Passes will be issued to persons not under prohibition from using the search facilities who sign an application form and acknowledge receipt of a copy of the noted regula¬tions. User Passes are nontransferable and are valid until reissue or revocation for cause. Office employ¬ees must show their building pass in order to enter the Patent Search Room. An On-line Service Card is required for access to all Public Search Facilities and on-line systems. On-line Service Cards are obtained at the Public Search Facility Receptionist Desk on a user’s first visit.