714.21 Amendments Inadvertently Entered, No Legal Effect [R-11.2013]

If the technical support staff inadvertently enters an amendment when it should not have been entered, such entry is of no legal effect, and the same action is taken as if the changes had not been actually made, inasmuch as they have not been legally made. Unless such unauthorized entry is deleted, suitable notation should be made on the margin of the amendatory paper, as “Not Officially Entered” with the typewriter tool in Adobe Acrobat.

If an amendatory paper is to be retained in the file, even though not entered, it should be given a paper number and listed on the file wrapper with the notation “Not Entered.” See 37 CFR 1.3 and MPEP § 714.25 for an example of a paper which may be denied entry.