37 CFR § 11.45 - Amendment of pleadings.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t37/s11.45"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "37 CFR § 11.45 - Amendment of pleadings."
title_number: 37
title_name: "Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights"
section_number: "11.45"
section_name: "Amendment of pleadings."
chapter_name: "UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE"
subchapter_number: "A"
subchapter_name: "GENERAL"
part_number: "11"
part_name: "REPRESENTATION OF OTHERS BEFORE THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "5 U.S.C. 500; 15 U.S.C. 1123; 35 U.S.C. 2(b)(2), 32, 41; Sec. 1, Pub. L. 113-227, 128 Stat. 2114."
regulatory_source: "69 FR 35452, June 24, 2004, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "11"
---


# 11.45 Amendment of pleadings.

The OED Director may, without Committee on Discipline authorization, but with the authorization of the hearing officer, amend the complaint to include additional charges based upon conduct committed before or after the complaint was filed. If amendment of the complaint is authorized, the hearing officer shall authorize amendment of the answer. Any party who would otherwise be prejudiced by the amendment will be given reasonable opportunity to meet the allegations in the complaint or answer as amended, and the hearing officer shall make findings on any issue presented by the complaint or answer as amended.