According to USPTO regulations, which statement is not true regarding an applicant's access to competitor applications?

The statement that Joan may get unpublished information regarding Application D is not true according to USPTO regulations. Generally, until an application is published, its contents and details remain confidential under U.S. patent law. This confidentiality is meant to protect the interests of the applicants while their inventions are under review. Unless there are specific circumstances, such as the applicant providing consent or the application being involved in legal proceedings, unpublished applications are not accessible to the public or competitors.

In contrast, the other statements regarding access to competitor applications are accurate. For instance, if Application A has been published, then individuals like Joan can indeed obtain status information about related applications, including Application B. Similarly, if Application B is connected to Application A (perhaps as a continuation or related application), it follows that it may also have certain accessible status information. Lastly, applications cannot be accessed until they are fully public, which aligns with the rules governing confidentiality and public disclosure by the USPTO.