What action should an applicant take if they did not receive an office action?

When an applicant does not receive an office action, submitting a claim of non-receipt is the appropriate action to take. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has protocols in place for addressing situations where correspondence is not received by an applicant. By filing a claim of non-receipt, the applicant notifies the USPTO that they did not get the intended communication and seeks resolution of the matter. This action helps ensure that the application process can continue smoothly without unnecessary delays caused by the missed correspondence.

In contrast, the other options do not appropriately address the situation of non-receipt. Filing a petition for review is more relevant when an applicant disagrees with a decision made by the USPTO rather than when expecting correspondence. Filing a new application is unnecessary when the applicant simply did not receive the office action and does not resolve the issue at hand. Paying a fee for reissue pertains to correcting issues with already issued registrations, which is not relevant to the matter of not receiving an office action. Thus, claiming non-receipt is the most effective and direct action to resolve communication issues with the USPTO.