USPTO Updated Terminal Disclaimer Forms to Improve Filing
Patent applicants can now list up to 10 references on forms designed to reduce filing errors and administrative burdens.
Updated on Sept. 23, 2026 in Remote Work
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The United States Patent and Trademark Office has released four new terminal disclaimer forms and updated four existing ones to streamline the patent filing process. These changes, which allow for up to 10 references, aim to improve data collection and reduce common submission errors for businesses.
Why it matters
Updating these forms reduces the administrative burden on patent applicants and legal teams by minimizing filing errors. These improvements help companies manage intellectual property portfolios more efficiently while ensuring the agency maintains cleaner, more accurate data.
The agency released 4 new forms and updated 4 existing ones, now permitting up to 10 references per document compared to the previous capacity. These adjustments aim to decrease filing burdens across the entire pool of patent applicants filing under common ownership or research agreements.
The players
United States Patent and Trademark Office
The federal agency responsible for granting U.S. patents and registering trademarks, which enforces compliance standards for intellectual property filings.
The details
The agency expanded the capacity of terminal disclaimer forms to include rows for 10 references and provided additional space for applicant fields. Furthermore, Form PTO/SB/43 was retired in favor of two separate forms, PTO/SB/43a and PTO/SB/43b, to allow for more precise tracking of disclaimers. These mechanical changes are intended to standardize documentation and prevent common errors that historically led to rejected filings.
Timeline
September 23, 2026: The USPTO released the new and updated forms.
Market Landscape
This move follows the long-term pattern of regulatory modernization under the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act by digitizing and standardizing administrative requirements. It reflects a broader institutional push to reduce clerical friction in intellectual property filings.
Operators overseeing intellectual property portfolios should ensure their legal teams adopt these new forms immediately to avoid submission rejections. Filing departments should specifically update internal templates to accommodate the new 10-reference limit and the split in PTO/SB/43 versions.
The takeaway
Standardizing administrative filings remains a critical step for reducing overhead and avoiding costly legal delays in patent prosecution. Operators should instruct their counsel to prioritize the use of these new forms to ensure compatibility with current agency data collection requirements.
Further reading
For broader trends on operational efficiency and remote administrative processes, see Remote Work.
More information
Review the full list of changes and download the updated templates on the USPTO disclaimer forms page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by USPTO.
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