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 Recordation Branch by filing a Recordation Cover Sheet along with a copy of the actual assignment or proof of name change.
Change Ownership - 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. You may email questions about filing electronic patent assignments to EPAS@uspto.gov (link sends e-mail).
Patent Assignment Search
Use Patent Assignment Search 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). You may email questions about searching patent assignments to AssignmentSearch@uspto.gov.
For further information, you may contact the Assignment Recordation Branch Customer Service Desk at 571-272-3350 from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm Eastern Time.