602.08(a) Inventor Bibliographic Information [R-10.2019]
For applications filed on or after September 16, 2012, the citizenship of the inventor is no longer required by 35 U.S.C. 115 or 37 CFR 1.63.
For nonprovisional applications filed before September 16, 2012, pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 115 requires the inventor(s) to state his or her citizenship. Where an inventor is not a citizen of any country, a statement to this effect is accepted as satisfying the statutory requirement, but a statement as to citizenship applied for or first papers taken out looking to future citizenship in this (or any other) country does not meet the requirement.
II. INVENTOR’S RESIDENCE
Each inventor’s place of residence, that is, the city and either state or foreign country, is required to be included in the oath or declaration in a nonprovisional application for compliance with 37 CFR 1.63 unless it is included in an application data sheet (37 CFR 1.76). In the case of an inventor who is in one of the U.S. Armed Services, a statement to that effect is sufficient as to residence. For change of residence, see MPEP § 719.02. Each inventor’s residence must be included on the cover sheet for a provisional application unless it is included in an application data sheet (37 CFR 1.76).
If only a mailing address where the inventor customarily receives mail is provided, the Office will presume that the inventor’s residence is the city and either state or foreign country of the mailing address. If the inventor lives at a location which is different from the inventor’s mailing address, the inventor’s residence (city and either state or foreign country) must be included in the inventor’s oath or declaration or an application data sheet.
III. INVENTOR’S MAILING OR POST OFFICE ADDRESS
Each inventor’s mailing or post office address is required to be supplied on the oath or declaration, if not stated in an application data sheet. See 37 CFR 1.63(b), pre-AIA 37 CFR 1.63(c), and 37 CFR 1.76. If the mailing address of any inventor has been omitted, OPAP will notify applicant of the omission and require the omitted mailing address in response to the notice.
The inventor’s mailing address means that address at which he or she customarily receives his or her mail, even if it is not the main mailing address of the inventor. Either the inventor’s home or business address is acceptable as the mailing address. A post office box is also acceptable. The mailing address should include the ZIP Code designation. The object of requiring each inventor’s mailing address is to enable the Office to communicate directly with the inventor if desired; hence, the address of the attorney with instruction to send communications to the inventor in care of the attorney is not sufficient.
In situations where an inventor does not execute the oath or declaration and the inventor is not deceased or legally incapacitated, such as in an application filed on or after September 16, 2012 in which a substitute statement under 37 CFR 1.64 is filed, the inventor’s most recent home address must be given to enable the Office to communicate directly with the inventor as necessary.