304.03 Authorization of Official Correspondence from the USPTO by Electronic Mail
The USPTO will send official correspondence concerning an application or registration by e-mail only if e-mail communication is authorized by the applicant, registrant, or a practitioner qualified under 37 C.F.R.§11.14 who has been authorized by the applicant or registrant to act on its behalf .
The applicant, registrant, or qualified practitioner may authorize the USPTO to communicate by e-mail by so indicating in the initial application or in any official written communication. The authorization must include the e-mail address to which e-mail is to be sent. If the applicant, registrant, or the applicant’s qualified practitioner authorizes the USPTO to send officialcorrespondence by e-mail, one primary e-mail address may be designated, as well as up to four secondary e-mail addresses for duplicate courtesy copies of the correspondence. See TMEP §403 regarding treatment of undeliverable e-mail correspondence.
The USPTO is not required to send Office actions and other official correspondence by e-mail whenever the applicant or registrant authorizes e mail correspondence. The USPTO may send certain correspondence by e mail, regular mail, fax, or other appropriate means.
It is the responsibility of the applicant, registrant, or qualified practitioner to notify the USPTO of any changes of e-mail address. TMEP §609.03.
The Office considers any authorization for e-mail communications to end upon the date of registration of a mark. Note, however, that a courtesy e-mail reminder of USPTO maintenance filing deadlines will be sent to all e-mail addresses of record within the Correspondence and Current Owner(s) Information fields, as indicated in Office records. See TMEP §§1604.02 and 1613.02.