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What an MPEP Section's Bracketed Revision Date Means
The USPTO MPEP index states that a section's bracketed revision indicator identifies the date of that section's last revision.
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Updated: Sources: 2
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What matters now
- A section's bracketed date (e.g., [R-10.2019]) marks that section's own last revision, not the manual's overall edition date, per the USPTO's MPEP index.
- A section can carry an older bracketed date than the manual's current revision label without any inconsistency.
- MPEP section 2506 is stamped [R-10.2019] while sitting inside the Revision 01.2024 manual, illustrating the rule directly.
- This does not address whether section 2506's substance is still current, nor any patent protectability, infringement, or filing-strategy question.
The USPTO MPEP index states that revision indicators beside section titles identify the date of the last revision to that section. MPEP section 2506 displays “[R-10.2019]” in its heading; the cited index discusses sections revised in Revision 01.2024.
This original record-reading guide is a general reading aid, not cited evidence. It does not depict a source record; the article text and source links provide the facts.
Key points
- The bracketed date attached to a section title identifies when that section was last revised, per the USPTO’s MPEP index.
- The index distinguishes a section’s revision indicator from the current-MPEP indicator it describes.
- MPEP section 2506, “Times for Submitting Maintenance Fee Payments,” displays “[R-10.2019]” in its heading.
What the USPTO’s MPEP index says
The MPEP’s own index page explains the purpose of the bracketed indicator in plain terms:
“MPEP sections that were revised in the current MPEP have a revision indicator of [R-01.2024] adjacent to the section title. Throughout the MPEP, these revision indicators identify the date of the last revision to that section.” — MPEP Index
The index says the indicators identify the date of the last revision to the section. This article does not infer a section’s substantive currentness from its displayed indicator.
MPEP 2506 example
As published by the USPTO, the section 2506 heading reads:
“2506 Times for Submitting Maintenance Fee Payments [R-10.2019]” — MPEP Section 2506
The cited heading displays “[R-10.2019].” The index states that such an indicator identifies the date of the last revision to that section.
Scope of the indicator
The supplied index and section page support the displayed revision-indicator wording. They do not establish that an older indicator makes a section current, stale, or inconsistent with another MPEP page.
What this article does not answer
This article addresses only what the bracketed revision indicator identifies, per the MPEP index’s own language, and how that plays out in the specific case of section 2506. It does not assess whether the text of section 2506 is still accurate or current in substance, and it does not address whether any law, rule, or fee schedule referenced in that section has changed since October 2019. It offers no view on patent protectability, infringement, or fair use, and it is not filing strategy or legal advice on how to submit maintenance fee payments or any other patent matter. Readers with a specific filing question should consult the current section text directly or a qualified professional.
Source links
https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/index.html https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/s2506.html