Signature Requirements Related to Acceptance of Electronic Signatures for Patent Correspondence

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) is revising the rules of practice in patent cases to update the signature rule to provide for the broader permissibility of electronic signatures using third-party document-signing software, such as DocuSign[supreg] and Acrobat[supreg] Sign, and more closely align signature requirements with the rules of practice in trademark cases. The revised rules will provide additional flexibility and convenience to patent applicants and owners, practitioners, and other parties who sign patent-related correspondence, and promote consistency by establishing signature requirements which are common to both patent and trademark matters.