Patent Document Authority Files

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USPTO Patent Document Authority Files

The Pre-Grant and Patent Grant Authority Files contain listings of all US published application publications ("Pre-Grant") and other published or granted patent documents ("Patent Grant") found in USPTO Patent Image databases and list the following fields, where applicable:

Country Code
Document Number
Kind Code
An indication of missing and withdrawn

Please Note:

Pre-Grant publications are Patent Application Publications and Plant Patent Application Publications published beginning March 15, 2001.
Pre-Grant Authority file contains only Pre-Grant publications
Patent Grant Authority file contains all published USPTO patent documents, except for Pre-Grant Publications
Authority Files are normally updated on a monthly basis

The Authority Files are the lists of valid US patent document numbers that are contained in our Patent Image databases.

WIPO Standard ST.1 provides information on how patent documents are uniquely identified. A publication date is not necessary for unique identification of US patent documents.

The following additional files are also provided:

Detailed file layout information
Listing of documents found on the Patent Grant Authority File which are indicated as being withdrawn, but for which the withdrawn status is questioned
Listing of documents found on the Patent Grant Authority File which are not indicated as being withdrawn, but which may actually be withdrawn from issue

The two lists related to withdrawn granted patent documents are currently under study by the USPTO. Additional information and updates will be provided, as they become available.

File layout description of Pre-Grant Authority file
File layout description of Patent Grant Authority File
Summary of usage of USPTO Kind Codes

Click here to download the zipped Pre-Grant Authority Files (last updated December 26, 2008)

Click here to download the zipped Patent Grant Authority Files (last updated December 25, 2008)

Certificate of Correction File (last updated December 26, 2008)

Reexamination Certificates File (last updated December 26, 2008)

Some contents linked to on this page require a plug-in for ZIP File.

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