USPTO Waives Original Handwritten Signature Requirement Due to the COVID-19 Outbreak
Written April 3, 2020
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in a March 30, 2020, Federal Register notice, announced that it is waiving its original handwritten signature requirement. According to the notice, the USPTO considers the effects of the COVID–19 outbreak to be an extraordinary situation. Therefore, pursuant to the Office’s authority, the USPTO is waiving its only regulatory requirements for an original handwritten signature personally signed in permanent dark ink or its equivalent for certain correspondence with the Office of Enrollment and Discipline and certain payments by credit card. In both instances, the Office will accept copies of handwritten signatures. The USPTO has no other requirements for original handwritten, ink signatures.