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700 Examination of Applications
700 Examination of Applications
701 Statutory Authority for Examination
702 Requisites of the Application
702.01 Obviously Informal Cases
703 "General Information Concerning Patents"
704 Search and Requirements for Information
704.01 Search
704.10 Requirements for Information
704.11 What Information May Be Required
704.11(a) Examples of Information Reasonably Required
704.11(b) When May a Requirement for Information Be Made
704.12 Replies to a Requirement for Information
704.12(a) Relationship of Requirement for Information to Duty of Disclosure
704.12(b) What Constitutes a Complete Reply
704.12(c) Treatment of an Incomplete Reply
704.13 Time Periods for Reply
704.14 Making a Requirement for Information
704.14(a) Format of the Requirement
704.14(b) Examiner's Obligation Following Applicant's Reply
704.14(c) Petitions to Requirements Under 37 CFR 1.105
704.14(d) Relationship to Information Disclosure Statements
705 Patentability Reports
705.01 Instructions re Patentability Reports
705.01(a) Nature of P.R., Its Use and Disposal
705.01(b) Sequence of Examination
705.01(c) Counting and Recording P.R.s
705.01(d) Duplicate Prints of Drawings
705.01(e) Limitation as to Use
705.01(f) Interviews With Applicants
706 Rejection of Claims
706.01 Contrasted With Objections
706.02 Rejection on Prior Art
706.02(a) Rejections Under 35 U.S.C. 102(a), (b), or (e); Printed Publication or Patent
706.02(b) Overcoming a 35 U.S.C. 102 Rejection Based on a Printed Publication or Patent
706.02(c) Rejections Under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) or (b); Knowledge by Others or Public Use or Sale
706.02(d) Rejections Under 35 U.S.C. 102(c)
706.02(e) Rejections Under 35 U.S.C. 102(d)
706.02(f) Rejection Under 35 U.S.C. 102(e)
706.02(f)(1) Examination Guidelines for Applying References Under 35 U.S.C. 102(e)
706.02(f)(2) Provisional Rejections Under 35 U.S.C. 102(e); Reference Is a Copending U.S. Patent Application
706.02(g) Rejections Under 35 U.S.C. 102(f)
706.02(h) Rejections Under 35 U.S.C. 102(g)
706.02(i) Form Paragraphs for Use in Rejections Under 35 U.S.C. 102
706.02(j) Contents of a 35 U.S.C. 103 Rejection
706.02(k) Provisional Rejection (Obviousness) Under 35 U.S.C. 102(e)/103
706.02(l) Rejections Under 35 U.S.C. 102(f)/103 and 35 U.S.C. 102(g)/103; 35 U.S.C. 103(c)
706.02(l)(1) Rejections Under 35 U.S.C. 102(e)/103; 35 U.S.C. 103(c)
706.02(l)(2) Establishing Common Ownership
706.02(l)(3) Examination Procedure With Respect to 35 U.S.C. 103(c)
706.02(m) Form Paragraphs for Use in Rejections Under 35 U.S.C. 103
706.02(n) Biotechnology Process Applications; 35 U.S.C. 103(b)
706.03 Rejections Not Based on Prior Art
706.03(a) Rejections Under 35 U.S.C. 101
706.03(b) Barred by Atomic Energy Act
706.03(c) Rejections Under 35 U.S.C. 112, First Paragraph
706.03(d) Rejections Under 35 U.S.C. 112, Second Paragraph
706.03(k) Duplicate Claims
706.03(m) Nonelected Inventions
706.03(o) New Matter
706.03(s) Foreign Filing Without License
706.03(u) Disclaimer
706.03(v) After Interference or Public Use Proceeding
706.03(w) Res Judicata
706.03(x) Reissue
706.04 Rejection of Previously Allowed Claims
706.05 Rejection After Allowance of Application
706.06 Rejection of Claims Copied From Patent
706.07 Final Rejection
706.07(a) Final Rejection, When Proper on Second Action
706.07(b) Final Rejection, When Proper on First Action
706.07(c) Final Rejection, Premature
706.07(d) Final Rejection, Withdrawal of, Premature
706.07(e) Withdrawal of Final Rejection, General
706.07(f) Time for Reply to Final Rejection
706.07(g) Transitional After-Final Practice
706.07(h) Request for Continued Examination (RCE) Practice
707 Examiner's Letter or Action
707.01 Primary Examiner Indicates Action for New Assistant
707.02 Applications Up for Third Action and 5-Year Applications
707.05 Citation of References
707.05(a) Copies of Cited References
707.05(b) Citation of Related Art and Information by Applicants
707.05(c) Order of Listing
707.05(d) Reference Cited in Subsequent Actions
707.05(e) Data Used in Citing References
707.05(f) Effective Dates of Declassified Printed Matter
707.05(g) Incorrect Citation of References
707.06 Citation of Decisions, Orders Memorandums, and Notices
707.07 Completeness and Clarity of Examiner's Action
707.07(a) Complete Action on Formal Matters
707.07(b) Requiring New Oath
707.07(c) Draftsperson's Requirement
707.07(d) Language To Be Used in Rejecting Claims
707.07(e) Note All Outstanding Requirements
707.07(f) Answer All Material Traversed
707.07(g) Piecemeal Examination
707.07(h) Notify of Inaccuracies in Amendment
707.07(i) Each Claim To Be Mentioned in Each Office Action
707.07(j) State When Claims Are Allowable
707.07(k) Numbering Paragraphs
707.07(l) Comment on Examples
707.08 Reviewing and Initialing by Assistant Examiner
707.09 Signing by Primary or Other Authorized Examiner
707.10 Entry
707.11 Date
707.12 Mailing
707.13 Returned Office Action
708 Order of Examination
708.01 List of Special Cases
708.02 Petition To Make Special
708.03 Examiner Tenders Resignation
709 Suspension of Action
709.01 Overlapping Applications by Same Applicant or Owned by Same Assignee
710 Period for Reply
710.01 Statutory Period
710.01(a) Statutory Period, How Computed
710.02 Shortened Statutory Period and Time Limit Actions Computed
710.02(b) Shortened Statutory Period: Situations in Which Used
710.02(c) Specified Time Limits: Situations in Which Used
710.02(d) Difference Between Shortened Statutory Periods for Reply and Specified Time Limits
710.02(e) Extension of Time
710.04 Two Periods Running
710.04(a) Copying Patent Claims
710.05 Period Ending on Saturday, Sunday, or a Federal Holiday
710.06 Situations When Reply Period Is Reset or Restarted
711 Abandonment of Patent Application
711.01 Express or Formal Abandonment
711.02 Failure To Take Required Action During Statutory Period
711.02(a) Insufficiency of Reply
711.02(b) Special Situations Involving Abandonment
711.02(c) Termination of Proceedings
711.03 Reconsideration of Holding of Abandonment; Revival
711.03(a) Holding Based on Insufficiency of Reply
711.03(b) Holding Based on Failure To Reply Within Period
711.03(c) Petitions Relating to Abandonment
711.03(d) Examiner's Statement on Petition To Set Aside Examiner's Holding
711.04 Public Access to Abandoned Applications
711.04(a) Pulling and Forwarding Abandoned Applications
711.04(b) Ordering of Patented and Abandoned Files
711.04(c) Notifying Applicants of Abandonment
711.05 Letter of Abandonment Received After Application Is Allowed
711.06 Abstracts, Abbreviatures, and Defensive Publications
711.06(a) Citation and Use of Abstracts, Abbreviatures, and Defensive Publications as References
713 Interviews
713.01 General Policy, How Conducted
713.02 Interviews Prior to First Official Action
713.03 Interview for "Sounding Out" Examiner Not Permitted
713.04 Substance of Interview Must Be Made of Record
713.05 Interviews Prohibited or Granted, Special Situations
713.06 No Inter Partes Questions Discussed Ex Parte
713.07 Exposure of Other Cases
713.08 Demonstration, Exhibits, Models
713.09 Finally Rejected Application
713.10 Interview Preceding Filing Amendment Under 37 CFR 1.312
714 Amendments, Applicant's Action
714.01 Signatures to Amendments
714.01(a) Unsigned or Improperly Signed Amendment
714.01(c) Signed by Attorney or Agent Not of Record
714.01(d) Amendment Signed by Applicant but Not by Attorney or Agent of Record
714.01(e) Amendments Before First Office Action
714.02 Must Be Fully Responsive
714.03 Amendments Not Fully Responsive, Action To Be Taken
714.03(a) Amendment Unduly Interferes With the Preparation of an Office Action
714.04 Claims Presented in Amendment With No Attempt To Point Out Patentable Novelty
714.05 Examiner Should Immediately Inspect
714.06 Amendments Sent to Wrong Technology Center
714.07 Amendments Not in Permanent Ink
714.08 Telegraphic Amendment
714.10 Claims Added in Excess of Filing Fee
714.11 Amendment Filed During Interference Proceedings
714.12 Amendments After Final Rejection or Action
714.13 Amendments After Final Rejection or Action, Procedure Followed
714.14 Amendments After Allowance of All Claims
714.15 Amendment Received in Technology Center After Mailing of Notice of Allowance
714.16 Amendment After Notice of Allowance, 37 CFR 1.312
714.16(a) Amendments Under 37 CFR 1.312, Copied Patent Claims
714.16(b) Amendments Under 37 CFR 1.312 Filed With a Motion Under 37 CFR 1.633
714.16(c) Amendments Under 37 CFR 1.312, Additional Claims
714.16(d) Amendments Under 37 CFR 1.312, Handling
714.16(e) Amendments Under 37 CFR 1.312, Entry in Part
714.17 Amendment Filed After the Period for Reply Has Expired
714.18 Entry of Amendments
714.19 List of Amendments, Entry Denied
714.20 List of Amendments Entered in Part
714.21 Amendments Inadvertently Entered, No Legal Effect
714.22 Entry of Amendments, Directions for
714.23 Entry of Amendments, Directions for, Defective
714.24 Amendment of Amendments
714.25 Discourtesy of Applicant or Attorney
715 Swearing Back of Reference - Affidavit or Declaration Under 37 CFR 1.131
715.01 37 CFR 1.131 Affidavits Versus 37 CFR 1.132 Affidavits
715.01(a) Reference Is a Joint Patent or Published Application to Applicant and Another
715.01(b) Reference and Application Have Common Assignee
715.01(c) Reference Is Publication of Applicant's Own Invention
715.01(d) Activities Applied Against the Claims
715.02 How Much of the Claimed Invention Must Be Shown, Including the General Rule as to Generic Claims
715.03 Genus-Species, Practice Relative to Cases Where Predictability Is in Question
715.04 Who May Make Affidavit or Declaration; Formal Requirements of Affidavits and Declarations
715.05 U.S. Patent or Application Publication Claiming Same Invention
715.07 Facts and Documentary Evidence
715.07(a) Diligence
715.07(b) Interference Testimony Sometimes Used
715.07(c) Acts Relied Upon Must Have Been Carried Out in This Country or a NAFTA or WTO Member Country
715.07(d) Disposition of Exhibits
715.08 Passed Upon by Primary Examiner
715.09 Seasonable Presentation
715.10 Review of Affidavit or Declaration for Evidence of Prior Public Use or Sale or Failure to Disclose Best Mode
716 Affidavits or Declarations Traversing Rejections, 37 CFR 1.132
716.01 Generally Applicable Criteria
716.01(a) Objective Evidence of Nonobviousness
716.01(b) Nexus Requirement and Evidence of Nonobviousness
716.01(c) Probative Value of Objective Evidence
716.01(d) Weighing Objective Evidence
716.02 Allegations of Unexpected Results
716.02(a) Evidence Must Show Unexpected Results
716.02(b) Burden on Applicant
716.02(c) Weighing Evidence of Expected and Unexpected Results
716.02(d) Unexpected Results Commensurate in Scope With Claimed Invention
716.02(e) Comparison With Closest Prior Art
716.02(f) Advantages Disclosed or Inherent
716.02(g) Declaration or Affidavit Form
716.03 Commercial Success
716.03(a) Commercial Success Commensurate in Scope With Claimed Invention
716.03(b) Commercial Success Derived From Claimed Invention
716.04 Long-Felt Need and Failure of Others
716.05 Skepticism of Experts
716.06 Copying
716.07 Inoperability of References
716.08 Utility and Operability of Applicant's Disclosure
716.09 Sufficiency of Disclosure
716.10 Attribution
718 Affidavit or Declaration to Disqualify Commonly Owned Patent as Prior Art, 37 CFR 1.130
719 File Wrapper
719.01 Papers in File Wrapper
719.01(a) Arrangement of Papers in File Wrapper
719.01(b) Prints
719.02 Data Entered on File Wrapper
719.02(b) Name or Residence of Inventor or Title Changed
719.03 Classification During Examination
719.04 Index of Claims
719.05 Field of Search
719.06 Foreign Filing Dates
719.07 Related Applications
720 Public Use Proceedings
720.01 Preliminary Handling
720.02 Examiner Determination of Prima Facie Showing
720.03 Preliminary Hearing
720.04 Public Use Proceeding Testimony
720.05 Final Decision
724 Trade Secret, Proprietary, and Protective Order Materials
724.01 Completeness of the Patent File Wrapper
724.02 Method of Submitting Trade Secret, Proprietary, and/or Protective Order Materials
724.03 Types of Trade Secret, Proprietary, and/or Protective Order Materials Submitted Under MPEP § 724.02
724.04 Office Treatment and Handling of Materials Submitted Under MPEP § 724.02
724.04(a) Materials Submitted in an Application Covered by 35 U.S.C. 122
724.04(b) Materials Submitted in Reissue Applications Open to the Public Under 37 CFR 1.11(b)
724.04(c) Materials Submitted in Reexamination File Open to the Public Under 37 CFR 1.11(d)
724.05 Petition To Expunge Information or Copy of Papers in Application File
724.06 Handling of Petitions To Expunge Information or Copy of Papers in Application File
700 Examination of Applications
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