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1413 Drawings [R-2] - 1400 Correction of Patents
1413 Drawings [R-2]
37 CFR 1.173 Reissue specification, drawings, and amendments.
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(a)
(2) Drawings. Applicant must submit a clean copy of each drawing sheet of the printed patent at the time the reissue application is filed. If such copy complies with § 1.84, no further drawings will be required. Where a drawing of the reissue application is to include any changes relative to the patent being reissued, the changes to the drawing must be made in accordance with paragraph (b)(3) of this section. The Office will not transfer the drawings from the patent file to the reissue application.
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A clean copy (e.g., good quality photocopies free of any extraneous markings) of each drawing sheet of the printed patent must be supplied by the applicant at the time of filing of the reissue application. If the copies meet the requirements of 37 CFR 1.84, no further formal drawings will be required. New drawing sheets are not to be submitted, unless some change is made in the original patent drawings. Such changes must be made in accordance with 37 CFR 1.173(b)(3).
The prior reissue practice of transferring drawings from the patent file has been eliminated, since clean photocopies of the printed patent drawings are acceptable for use in the printing of the reissue patent.
AMENDMENT OF DRAWINGS
37 CFR 1.173 Reissue specification, drawings, and amendments.
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(b)
(3) Drawings. One or more patent drawings shall be amended in the following manner: Any changes to a patent drawing must be submitted as a replacement sheet of drawings which shall be an attachment to the amendment document. Any replacement sheet of drawings must be in compliance with § 1.84 and shall include all of the figures appearing on the original version of the sheet, even if only one figure is amended. Amended figures must be identified as "Amended," and any added figure must be identified as "New." In the event that a figure is canceled, the figure must be surrounded by brackets and identified as "Canceled." All changes to the drawing(s) shall be explained, in detail, beginning on a separate sheet accompanying the papers including the amendment to the drawings.
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The provisions of 37 CFR 1.173 (b)(3) govern the manner of making amendments (changes) to the drawings in a reissue application. The following guidance is provided as to the procedure for amending drawings:
(A) Amending the original or printed patent drawing sheets by physically changing or altering them is not permitted. Any request to do so should be denied.
(B) Where a change to the drawings is desired, ** >applicant must submit a replacement sheet for each sheet of drawings containing a Figure to be revised. Any replacement sheet must comply with 37 CFR 1.84 and include all of the figures appearing on the original version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each figure that is amended must be identified by placing the word "Amended" at the bottom of that figure. Any added figure must be identified as "New." In the event that a figure is canceled, the figure must be identified as "Canceled" and also surrounded by brackets. All changes to the figure(s) must be explained, in detail, beginning on a separate sheet which accompanies the papers including the amendment to the drawings.
(C) If desired, applicant may include a marked-up copy of any amended drawing figure, including annotations indicating the changes made. Such a marked-up copy must be clearly labeled as "Annotated Marked-up Drawings", and it must be presented in the amendment or remarks section that explains the change to the drawings. In addition, the examiner may desire a marked-up copy of any amended drawing figure, and so state in an Office action. A marked-up copy of any amended drawing figure, including annotations indicating the changes made, must be provided when required by the examiner.<
(D) For each proper new drawing sheet being added, the new sheet should be inserted after the existing drawing sheets. For each proper * drawing sheet >being added< which replaces an existing drawing sheet, the existing sheet should be canceled by placing the sheet face down in the file and placing a large "X" on the back of the sheet. The new sheet should be inserted in place of the turned over existing sheet.
(E) If any drawing change * is not * >approved,< or if any submitted sheet of formal drawings is not entered, the examiner will so inform the reissue applicant in the next Office action, and the examiner will set forth the reasons for same.
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