Go to MPEP - Table of Contents
2617 Statement in the Request Applying Prior Art [Added R-2] - 2600 Optional Inter Partes Reexamination
2617 Statement in the Request Applying Prior Art [Added R-2]
35 U.S.C. 311(b)(2) states that the request for inter partes reexamination must "set forth the pertinency and manner of applying cited prior art to every claim for which reexamination is requested." 37 CFR 1.915(b)(3) requires that the request include "[a] statement pointing out each substantial new question of patentability based on the cited patents and printed publications, and a detailed explanation of the pertinency and manner of applying the patents and printed publications to every claim for which reexamination is requested."
The prior art applied may only consist of prior art patents or printed publications. Substantial new questions of patentability may be based upon the following portions of 35 U.S.C. 102:
35 U.S.C. 102 Conditions for patentability; novelty and loss of right to patent.
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless -
(a) the invention was known or used by others in this country, or patented or described in a printed publication in this or a foreign country, before the invention thereof by the applicant for patent, or
(b) the invention was patented or described in a printed publication in this or a foreign country or in public use or on sale in this country, more than one year prior to the date of the application for patent in the United States, or
*****
(d) the invention was first patented or caused to be patented, or was the subject of an inventor's certificate, by the applicant or his legal representatives or assigns in a foreign country prior to the date of the application for patent in this country on an application for patent or inventor's certificate filed more than twelve months before the filing of the application in the United States, or
(e) the invention was described in - (1) an application for patent, published under section 122(b), by another filed in the United States before the invention by the applicant for patent or (2) a patent granted on an application for patent by another filed in the United States before the invention by the applicant for patent, except that an international application filed under the treaty defined in section 351(a) shall have the effects for the purposes of this subsection of an application filed in the United States only if the international application designated the United States and was published under Article 21(2) of such treaty in the English language; or
(f) he did not himself invent the subject matter sought to be patented, or
(g)(1) during the course of an interference conducted under section 135 or section 291, another inventor involved therein establishes, to the extent permitted in section 104, that before such person's invention thereof the invention was made by such other inventor and not abandoned, suppressed, or concealed, or (2) before such person's invention thereof, the invention was made in this country by another inventor who had not abandoned, suppressed, or concealed it. In determining priority of invention under this subsection, there shall be considered not only the respective dates of conception and reduction to practice of the invention, but also the reasonable diligence of one who was first to conceive and last to reduce to practice, from a time prior to conception by the other.
Similarly, substantial new questions of patentability may also be made under 35 U.S.C. 103 which are based on the above-indicated portions of 35 U.S.C. 102. See also Chapter 2100.
Substantial new questions of patentability must be based on prior art patents or printed publications. Other matters, such as public use or sale, inventorship, 35 U.S.C. 101, 35 U.S.C. 112, fraud, etc., will not be considered when making the determination on the request and should not be presented in the request. Further, a prior art patent or printed publication cannot be properly applied as a ground for reexamination if it is merely used as evidence of alleged prior public use or on sale. The prior art patent or printed publication must be applied directly to claims under 35 U.S.C. 103 and/or an appropriate portion of 35 U.S.C. 102 or relate to the application of other prior art patents or printed publications to claims on such grounds.
The statement applying the prior art may, where appropriate, point out that claims in the patent for which reexamination is requested are entitled only to the filing date of that patent and are not supported by an earlier foreign or United States patent application whose filing date is claimed. For example, even where a patent is a continuing application under 35 U.S.C. 120, the effective date of some of the claims could be the filing date of the child application which resulted in the patent, because those claims were not supported in the parent application. Therefore, any intervening patents or printed publications would be available as prior art. See In re Ruscetta, 255 F.2d 687, 118 USPQ 101 (CCPA 1958), In re van Langenhoven, 458 F.2d 132, 173 USPQ 426 (CCPA 1972). See also MPEP § 201.11.
Double patenting is normally proper for consideration in reexamination. See In re Lonardo, 119 F.3d 960, 43 USPQ2d 1262 (Fed. Cir. 1997). See also the discussion as to double patenting in MPEP § 2258.
The mere citation of new patents or printed publications without an explanation does not comply with 37 CFR 1.915(b)(3). Requester should present an explanation of how the cited patents or printed publications are applied to all claims which the requester considers to merit reexamination based on patents or printed publications. This not only sets forth the requester's position to the Office, but also to the patent owner.
Affidavits or declarations which explain the contents or pertinent dates of prior art patents or printed publications in more detail may be considered in any reexamination. See MPEP § 2258.
ADMISSIONS
The consideration under 35 U.S.C. 312 of a request for reexamination is limited to prior art patents and printed publications. See Ex parte McGaughey, 6 USPQ2d 1334, 1337 (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1988). An admission by the patent owner of record in the file or in a court record may be utilized in combination with a patent or printed publication, for establishing a substantial new question of patentability. An admission, per se, may not be the basis for establishing a substantial new question of patentability.
For handling of admissions during the examination stage of a reexamination proceeding (i.e., after reexamination has been ordered), see MPEP § 2258.
The admission can reside in the patent file (made of record during the prosecution of the patent application) or may be presented during the pendency of the reexamination proceeding or in litigation. Admissions by the patent owner as to any matter affecting patentability may be utilized to determine the scope and content of the prior art in conjunction with patents and printed publications, whether such admissions are found in patents or printed publications or in some other source. An admission relating to any prior art established in the record of the file or in a court record may be used by the examiner in combination with patents or printed publications in a reexamination proceeding. Information supplementing or further defining the admission would be improper.
Any admission submitted by the patent owner is proper. A third party, however, may not submit admissions of the patent owner made outside the record of the file or a court record. Such a submission would be outside the scope of reexamination.
Go to MPEP - Table of Contents