[Patentpractice] USTPTO Customer Service Window hours are 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Friday effective today 09/30/2025

[McBean, Paul]

I don't want to be hyperbolic about this, but....

this really is the end of an era.  The midnight closing time for the Customer Service Window was one of the most reliable parts of the USPTO's operation.  In the pre-electronic filing of everything period you would find paralegals, attorneys, inventors, couriers and others (stakeholders I believe they call them now) frantically filing and copying last minute applications of all kinds.  Open during bad weather, major events, and federal emergencies (mentioning this for no particular reason) the filing window gave the USPTO an air of approachability that I don't think was matched by any other federal agency.

Glad that the fine people who staff the window no longer have to be there until after 12, but I'm sorry that we are all being robbed of our 7 hours.

Regards,
Paul

Paul McBean
Foreign Filing Specialist

Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC
901 K Street, NW
Suite 900
Washington, DC 20001

Phone 202.508.3477
pmcbean at bakerdonelson.com<mailto:pmcbean at bakerdonelson.com>


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From: Patentpractice <patentpractice-bounces at oppedahl-lists.com> On Behalf Of Randall Svihla via Patentpractice
Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2025 5:09 PM
To: For patent practitioners. This is not for laypersons to seek legal advice. <patentpractice at oppedahl-lists.com>
Cc: Randall Svihla <rsvihla at nsiplaw.com>
Subject: [Patentpractice] USTPTO Customer Service Window hours are 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Friday effective today 09/30/2025

The USPTO Customer Service Window has been open until midnight Monday-Friday for at least 40 years that I know of.  Not anymore.  Effective today 09/30/2025, they will close at 5:00 pm.  The notice is dated today 09/30/2025.  Nothing like a little advance notice.

Official Gazette Notice<https://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/documents/window-change-20250930.pdf?utm_campaign=subscriptioncenter&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=>

Best regards,

Randall S. Svihla
NSIP Law
Washington, D.C

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