This Manual is published to provide U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) patent examiners, applicants, attorneys, agents, and representatives of applicants with a reference work on the practices and procedures relative to the prosecution of patent applications and other proceedings before the USPTO. For example, the Manual contains instructions to examiners, as well as other material in the nature of information and interpretation, and outlines the current procedures which the examiners are required or authorized to follow in appropriate cases in the normal examination of a patent application. The Manual does not have the force of law or the force of the rules in Title 37 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

The January 2018 publication of Revision 08.2017 includes the following changes:Substantive revisions to MPEP Chapters 200, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 1200, 1400, 1500, 1800, 2000, 2100, 2200, 2300, 2500, 2700, and Chapter FPC (Form Paragraph Book), and updates to the Table of Contents, Foreword, Introduction, Subject Matter Index, and all Appendices except Appendix I and Appendix P.