2920.06 Allowance [R-07.2022]

A Notice of Allowability For a Design Application (form PTOL-37D) is used whenever a nonprovisional international design application has been placed in condition for allowance. See MPEP § 1302.03 for further information concerning the Notice of Allowability. In addition, a Notice of Allowance (form PTOL-85 (Hague)) is sent to the applicant requiring payment of the issue fee (i.e., second part of the U.S. designation fee). See 37 CFR 1.311 and 1.18(b). The Notice of Allowance and the Notice of Allowability are communicated to the applicant at the correspondence address of record in the application. The International Bureau is also notified of the communication of the Notice of Allowance to the applicant.

Since the Notice of Allowability is used whenever an application has been placed in a condition for allowance, the Notice of Allowability does not constitute a refusal of the effects of the international registration. However, a Notification of Partial Refusal (form PTO-2321) may be sent to the International Bureau concurrent with the sending of the Notice of Allowance to the applicant where all the designs contained in the international registration have not been allowed and were not previously the subject of a notification of refusal (e.g., all designs but the allowed design were removed by preliminary amendment prior to examination). See MPEP § 2920.05(a) .

The issue fee specified in the Notice of Allowance form PTOL-85 (Hague) may be paid directly to the Office or through the International Bureau. An issue fee paid through the International Bureau shall be in the amount established in Swiss currency pursuant to Rule 28 as of the date of mailing of the notice of allowance. See 37 CFR 1.18(b)(3). The International Bureau accepts payment only in Swiss currency (see Hague Agreement Rule 28(1)) and all fee amounts specified on the WIPO website are in Swiss currency). Further, any change in entity status from that shown in the Notice of Allowance must be communicated directly to the Office in accordance with U.S. rules, as instructed in the Notice of Allowance.