Standard for Presentation of Nucleotide and Amino Acid Sequence Listings Using eXtensible Markup Language (XML) in Patent Applications To Implement WIPO Standard ST.26; Incorporation by Reference

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) is amending the rules of practice for submitting biological sequence data associated with disclosures of nucleotide and amino acid sequences in patent applications by incorporating by reference certain provisions of World Intellectual Property Office Standard ST.26 (WIPO Standard ST.26) into the USPTO rules of practice. Other conforming changes to accommodate the new rules of practice based on the new standard are also included. In addition to simplifying the process for applicants filing in multiple countries, the requirement to submit a single sequence listing in eXtensible Markup Language (XML) format, or ``Sequence Listing XML,'' will result in better preservation, accessibility, and sorting of the submitted sequence data for the public.