[Patentpractice] Unable to connect to any USPTO phone numbers

[Rick Neifeld]

 I just called the USPTO's "Application Assistance Unit," 7035712400, to
check/confirm their phone outage. And I got a recorded message stating they
are "experiencing a temporary emergency at this time."

On Mon, Mar 10, 2025 at 4:44 PM Carl Oppedahl via Patentpractice <
patentpractice at oppedahl-lists.com> wrote:

> See
> https://blog.oppedahl.com/how-to-reach-a-uspto-person-if-you-cant-reach-them-by-phone/
> .  Some folks at the USPTO have private fax numbers.  Just now I sent faxes
> to two Examiners, asking them to call me.
> On 3/10/2025 2:39 PM, Randall Svihla wrote:
>
> This was just posted in the r/patentexaminer subreddit about 10 minutes
> ago:
>
>
>
> *IT Outage - Phones*
>
>
>
> Currently, examiners cannot receive calls from external numbers.  If
> you're expecting a call from an attorney, you should call them.
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* Patentpractice <patentpractice-bounces at oppedahl-lists.com>
> <patentpractice-bounces at oppedahl-lists.com> *On Behalf Of *Carl Oppedahl
> via Patentpractice
> *Sent:* Monday, March 10, 2025 3:35 PM
> *To:* For patent practitioners. This is not for laypersons to seek legal
> advice. <patentpractice at oppedahl-lists.com>
> <patentpractice at oppedahl-lists.com>
> *Cc:* Carl Oppedahl <carl at oppedahl.com> <carl at oppedahl.com>
> *Subject:* Re: [Patentpractice] Unable to connect to any USPTO phone
> numbers
>
>
>
> On 3/10/2025 1:14 PM, Carl Oppedahl wrote:
>
>
>
> On 3/10/2025 12:49 PM, Michael Dryja via Patentpractice wrote:
>
> Is anyone having this issue?  As of 11:47 am PT on Monday, March 10, for
> the past hour when I’ve tried calling any Examiner it either gives me three
> fast beeps (using my T-Mobile cell phone) or rings and rings and rings and
> hangs up (using my Phone.com Voip line).
>
>
>
>  - Mike Dryja.
>
> Yes it's not just you.   I have called an Examiner and the Examiner's SPE.
>
> From my office phone direct extension, the call to the SPE rings and
> rings, and clicks to a different ring cadence, (maybe migrating to voice
> mail?) and then hangs up on me.
>
> From a personal phone number (VOIP), the call to the SPE rings a while and
> then says "the number you are calling from has been flagged as spam.  If
> you believe this to be in error, please press 1 to report the problem."  I
> press 1 and it hangs up on me.
>
> I call from my cell phone and the recorded message is "the number you have
> dialed has calling restrictions and so the call cannot go through".  And it
> hangs up on me.
>
> When I could not get through to the SPE, I dialed the Director of the Tech
> Center.  Nope.  The call disconnects.
>
> It is impossible to get through on the phone number for Coke Morgan
> Stewart, the Director of the USPTO.
>
>
>
> --
> Patentpractice mailing list
> Patentpractice at oppedahl-lists.com
>
> http://oppedahl-lists.com/mailman/listinfo/patentpractice_oppedahl-lists.com
>
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