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2666.06 Service of Papers [Added R-2] - 2600 Optional Inter Partes Reexamination
2666.06 Service of Papers [Added R-2]
37 CFR 1.903 Service of papers on parties in inter partes reexamination.
The patent owner and the third party requester will be sent copies of Office actions issued during the inter partes reexamination proceeding. After filing of a request for inter partes reexamination by a third party requester, any document filed by either the patent owner or the third party requester must be served on every other party in the reexamination proceeding in the manner provided in § 1.248. Any document must reflect service or the document may be refused consideration by the Office. The failure of the patent owner or the third party requester to serve documents may result in their being refused consideration.
Any paper filed with the Office, i.e., any submission made, by either the patent owner or the third party requester must be served on every other party in the reexamination proceeding including any other third party requester that is part of the proceeding due to merger of reexamination proceedings.
As proof of service, the party submitting the paper to the Office must attach a certificate of service to the paper. It is required that the certificate of service set forth the name and address of the party served and the method of service. Further, a copy of the certificate of service must be attached with the copy of the paper that is served on the other party.
Papers filed in which no proof of service is included (where proof of service is required) may be denied consideration. Where no proof of service is included, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) will contact the party making the submission by telephone to see whether the indication of proof of service was inadvertently omitted from the party's submission (however, there was actual service).
-If service was in fact made, the party making the submission should be advised to submit a supplemental paper indicating the manner and date of service. The CRU should enter the submission for consideration, and annotate the paper with: "Service confirmed by [name of person] on [date]".
-If service was not made, or the party making the submission cannot be contacted, the submission is placed in the reexamination file and normally would not be considered. The CRU should enter the submission on the contents of the file wrapper and place an "(N/E)" next to it. The "(N/E)" can be crossed through if service is later made. The submission itself shall be annotated with "no service" which also can be crossed through if service is later made.
If the party making the submission cannot be contacted, a Notice of Defective Paper (PTOL-2069) will be mailed to the party, providing the party with a time period of one month or 30 days, whichever is longer, to complete the paper via a supplemental paper indicating the manner and date of service.
If it is known that service of a submission was not made, form paragraph 26.68 should be used to give notice to the party that made the submission of the requirement for service under 37 CFR 1.903.
¶ 26.68 Lack of Service in inter partes examination-37 CFR 1.903
The submission filed [1] is defective because it appears that the submission was not served on [2]. After the filing of a request for inter partes reexamination by a third party requester, any document filed by either the patent owner or the third party requester must be served on the other party (or parties where two third party requester proceedings are merged) in the inter partes reexamination proceeding in the manner provided in 37 CFR 1.248. See 37 CFR 1.903.
It is required that service of the submission be made, and a certificate of service be provided to the Office, within ONE MONTH from the date of this letter or within the time remaining in the response period of the last Office action (if applicable), whichever is longer.
Examiner Note
1. This paragraph may be used where a submission to the Office was not served as required in an inter partes reexamination proceeding.
2. In bracket 2, insert "patent owner" or "third party requester," whichever is appropriate.
PTOL-2071 should be used as the cover sheet for mailing the notice.
See MPEP § 2620 for service of the initial request on the patent owner.
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