An intellectual property law firm: patents, trademarks, and copyrights.

Viewing a Full Patent File or Patent Application File

Where do I view the full patent or patent application file?

To view the full patent or patent application file use USPTO Patent Center.

How do I view the full patent file or patent application file?

1) Go to the USPTO Patent Center, which allows you to view both full patent and patent application files.

2) Enter the:

Application Number
Patent Number, or
Publication Number.

You can find the Application Number, Patent Number, or Publication Number by looking up the patent or patent application using USPTO Public Patent Search, Google Patents, or other databases like Escapenet.

What is the full patent or patent application file?

The full patent or patent application file contains all the documents related to the patent application and elements related to the patent after it is issued.

The full patent file can also be called the prosecution history.

All parts of the file are separated into different tabs on the left side bar of the USPTO Patent Center.

A major part of the full file is called the Document & Transactions, which includes:

all the documents which were sent to the Patent Office by the applicant (original application, responses to rejections, etc); and
all the documents which were sent by the Patent Office to the applicant (rejections, responses to amendments, issue notification, etc.).

Other parts are:

Application Data
Continuity
Patent Term Adjustments
Foreign Priority
Fee Payment History
Published Documents
Address & Attorney/Agent
Supplemental Content
Assignments
Display References

Difference between the full patent or patent application file and the patent or published patent

The full patent or patent application file will show all the documents related to the patent application (application, rejections from patent examiners, responses to rejections, etc.).

The patent document will show the final patent which was approved/issued.

The published patent application will show a version of the patent application which may be different than the final approved patent. Patent applications are normally published 18 months after submitted, but the application can change between the time of publication and approval.

The patent or published patent application is found on the USPTO Public Patent Search, Google Patents, or other databases like Escapenet.

The full patent or patent application file is found on USPTO Patent Center.

Attorney Advertising. This website is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Using this site or communicating with the Law Office of John B. Hudak, PLLC through this site does not form an attorney-client relationship. An attorney-client relationship shall be formed only after an Attorney Engagement Letter is sent by the law office to the Client. Please do not share any unsolicited confidential information with our law firm by email or phone. This site is legal advertising. Copyright © 2023