By Donald Zuhn --
Last month, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office announced a change in the way registered practitioners can show authorization to participate in an examiner interview. Under the old procedure, practitioners were required to file a power of attorney or authorization to act in a representative capacity in order to participate in an interview. Under the new procedure, practitioners need only file an Applicant Initiated Interview Request Form (PTOL-413A). The instruction sheet for the recently updated form notes that "[t]he Office will accept the signed form as an indication that the registered practitioner not of record is authorized to conduct an interview on behalf of the principal." In addition, the notice states that "as the interview request form provides for the practitioner to set forth his or her name, signature and registration number, the Office will accept this as an indication that he or she is authorized to conduct an interview on behalf of the principal, which is consistent with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.34." The notice also indicates that M.P.E.P. §§ 405, 713.04, and 713.05 will be updated to reflect the change set forth in the notice.
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