Does e-Office Action program change the policy for communication via the Internet?
By registering for the e-Office Action program, participant is authorizing the Office to send e-mail notifications of Office communications entered by the participating Office business units in the applications associated with the Customer Number. The e-Office Action program does not, otherwise, change the policy for communication via the Internet set forth in the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP) ยง 502.03. The e-mail notification is simply an automated e-mail sent by the Office. It is not an e-mail sent by the examiner. The program does not alter the Office policy prohibiting an applicant or examiner from engaging in improper e-mail correspondence.
