• Once a notice of allowance has been mailed, prosecution of the application is closed on the merits, and the entry of any amendment is within the discretion of the patent examiner. Amendments after allowance commonly address such matters as an amendment to the specification or claims, a change in the drawings or the list of inventors, and the submission of prior art. Amendments that merely correct formal matters in the specification or drawings, change the claims without changing their scope, or cancel a claim are typically approved by the Office. Amendments of greater significance require approval of the supervisory examiner under policies established by the group director.
— Also termed 312 amendment; Rule 312 amendment. See amendment after payment of issue fee.
