Change Ownership

Change of Owner (Assignment) and Change of Owner Name

During examination of a pending patent application or after the patent is granted, the owner of the patent may change: 1) the original owner may transfer ownership to another entity or party, through an “assignment;” or 2) the original owner may retain ownership but change its name. The original owner should record the assignment or name change with the USPTO’s Assignment Services Division by filing a Recordation Cover Sheet along with a copy of the actual assignment or proof of name change.

Electronic Patent Assignment System (EPAS)

Use EPAS to create and submit a Patent Assignment Recordation Coversheet by completing on-line web forms and attaching the supporting legal documentation as black and white TIFF or PDF for submission via the internet.

Assignments on the Web for Patents (AOTW-P)

Use AOTW-P to search the database of all recorded Patent Assignment information from 1980 to the present (Patent Assignments recorded prior to 1980 are maintained at the National Archives and Records Administration).