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 official correspondence 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.