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2666.20 Third Party Does Not Comment After Patent Owner Response [Added R-2] - 2600 Optional Inter Partes Reexamination
2666.20 Third Party Does Not Comment After Patent Owner Response [Added R-2]
37 CFR 1.957 Failure to file a timely, appropriate or complete response or comment in inter partes reexamination.
(a) If the third party requester files an untimely or inappropriate comment, notice of appeal or brief in an inter partes reexamination, the paper will be refused consideration.
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Where a third party requester does not timely file written comments on a patent owner response, any subsequent submission of comments on that response will be refused consideration. The third party requester does not, however, lose any rights as to commenting on future patent owner responses. The failure to file the comments applies only to the specific response which the third party requester elects not to comment upon.
Note that where the third party requester did not file comments on a response that was determined by the Office to be incomplete, the third party requester may file comments on the response once it is completed (by patent owner's submission of a supplemental response). However, where only a fee is needed to complete the response, the third party requester may not file comments after the fee is submitted; see MPEP § 2666.40 for a detailed discussion.
Where the third party requester fails to make a timely appeal or the third party requester's appeal is dismissed, the third party requester loses further rights as the appellant in the appeal. However, where a patent owner appellant continues its appeal, the third party requester as the respondent can file a respondent brief. Also, the third party requester can enter the appeal pursuant to 37 CFR 1.977 (submission after a Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences decision). In addition, the third party requester can comment on any subsequent patent owner response to any Office action, where the action is issued after the appeal.
Where the third party requester fails to timely appeal, or the requester's appeal is dismissed, and no other appeal is pending in the proceeding, the proceeding should be terminated by the issuance of a NIRC.
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