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2.2.7.3 Communication with Applicants or Attorneys by Email

Date Published

Email may be utilised under similar circumstances as the phone in order to resolve issues of a minor nature  (see 2.2.7.2 Communication with Applicants or Attorneys by Phone).  Furthermore, if examiners experience difficulties contacting the applicant or attorney by phone but have their email address, they should use email as a means of establishing contact or communicating the issues.  As these emails are an official form of correspondence, examiners must maintain a professional manner when using this form of communication.

A copy of every email communication between an examiner and an applicant or attorney must be added to every case file to which the email is relevant, unless the information in the email merely duplicates information already on file.  This applies whether it is the examiner who is the sender or the recipient of the email.  Copies of emails should be added to the file using the procedures outlined in 5.6.2.1 Add an Email to the Ecase.

Any report that is emailed to an applicant or attorney should also be dispatched in the usual manner (see 2.2.4.1 Emailing Reports to Applicants or Attorneys; Sending Urgent Reports).

Note: Email is not an official means for filing a response to an examiner's report. Thus, any documents required to be filed (e.g. substitute pages, notice of entitlement, request to amend) or applicant/attorney submissions must be filed in paper or via eServices. They cannot be filed by email. If a response to a report is received via email, examiners should contact the applicant or attorney and advise that the response must be filed in paper or via eServices.

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