MrSnuggles
Full Member
Posts: 119
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Re: shortened statutory period
« Reply #1 on: Jun 23rd, 2007, 8:42pm » |
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It's in the MPEP. Basically, under statute, an applicant has 6 months to reply to an office action. However, in most, if not all, cases, the Office has determined a shortened statutory period (SSP) to respond before incurring extension fees. At no time though can an applicant reply after the statutory period, otherwise the application will go abandoned.
For example, the SSP for a typical office action is 3 months, afterwhich you start having to pay for monthly extension fees when you file your response - up to a maximum of 6 months after the mail date of the office action being responded to. For restriction requirements and notices of non-compliance, for example, the SSP is 1 month. For other responses, it may be set at 2 months, etc.
Bascially, it's a way for the PTO to increase responsiveness from applicants and "streamline" the system. The fees to extend a 3 month SSP to 6 months is spendy.
www . uspto . gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/documents/0700_710_01.htm#sect710.01
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