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1444 Review of Reissue Oath/Declaration - 1400 Correction of Patents
1444 Review of Reissue Oath/Declaration
In accordance with 37 CFR 1.175, the following is required in the reissue oath/declaration:
(A) A statement that the applicant believes the original patent to be wholly or partly inoperative or invalid-
(1) by reason of a defective specification or drawing, or
(2) by reason of the patentee claiming more or less than patentee had the right to claim in the patent;
(B) A statement of at least one error which is relied upon to support the reissue application, i.e., which provides a basis for the reissue;
(C) A statement that all errors which are being corrected in the reissue application up to the time of filing of the oath/declaration arose without any deceptive intention on the part of the applicant; and
(D) The information required by 37 CFR 1.63.
MPEP § 1414 contains a discussion of each of the above elements (i.e., requirements of a reissue oath/declaration). The examiner should carefully review the reissue oath/declaration in conjunction with that discussion, in order to ensure that each element is provided in the oath/declaration. If the examiner's review of the oath/declaration reveals a lack of compliance with any of the requirements of 37 CFR 1.175, a rejection of all the claims under 35 U.S.C. 251 should be made on the basis that the reissue oath/declaration is insufficient.
In preparing an Office action, the examiner should use form paragraphs 14.01 through 14.01.04 to state the objection(s) to the oath/declaration, i.e., the defects in the oath/declaration. These form paragraphs are reproduced in MPEP § 1414. The examiner should then use form paragraph 14.14 to reject the claims under 35 U.S.C. 251, based upon the improper oath/declaration.
¶ 14.14 Rejection, Defective Reissue Oath or Declaration
Claim [1] rejected as being based upon a defective reissue [2] under 35 U.S.C. 251 as set forth above. See 37 CFR 1.175.
The nature of the defect(s) in the [3] is set forth in the discussion above in this Office action.
Examiner Note
1. In bracket 1, list all claims in the reissue application. See MPEP § 706.03(x).
2. This paragraph should be preceded by at least one of the paragraphs 14.01 to 14.01.04.
3. In brackets 2 and 3, insert either --oath-- or --declaration--.
A lack of signature on a reissue oath/declaration (except as otherwise provided in 37 CFR 1.42, 1.43, and 1.47 and in 37 CFR 1.172) would be considered a lack of compliance with 37 CFR 1.175(a) and result in a rejection, including final rejection, of all the claims on the basis that the reissue oath/declaration is insufficient. If the unsigned reissue oath/declaration is submitted as part of a reply which is otherwise properly signed and responsive to the outstanding Office action, the reply should be accepted by the examiner as proper and responsive, and the oath/declaration considered fully in the next Office action. The reply should not be treated as an unsigned or improperly signed amendment (see MPEP § 714.01(a)), nor do the holdings of Ex parte Quayle apply in this situation. The lack of signature, along with any other oath/declaration deficiencies, should be noted in the next Office action rejecting the claims as being based upon an insufficient reissue oath/declaration.
HANDLING OF THE REISSUE OATH/DECLARATION DURING THE REISSUE PROCEEDING
An initial reissue oath/declaration is submitted with the reissue application (or within the time period set for filing the oath/declaration in a Notice To File Missing Parts under 37 CFR 1.53(f) ). Where the reissue oath/declaration fails to comply with 37 CFR 1.175(a), the examiner will so notify the applicant in an Office action, rejecting the claims under 35 U.S.C. 251 as discussed above. In reply to the Office action, a supplemental reissue oath/declaration should be submitted dealing with the noted defects in the reissue oath/declaration.
Where the initial reissue oath/declaration (1) failed to provide any error statement, or (2) attempted to provide an error statement, but failed to identify any error under 35 U.S.C. 251 upon which reissue can be based (see MPEP § 1402), the examiner should reject all the claims as being based upon a defective reissue oath/declaration under 35 U.S.C. 251. To support the rejection, the examiner should specifically point out the failure of the initial oath/declaration to comply with 37 CFR 1.175 because an "error" under 35 U.S.C. 251 upon which reissue can be based was not identified therein. In reply to the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 251, a supplemental reissue oath/declaration must be submitted stating an error under 35 U.S.C. 251 which can be relied upon to support the reissue application. Submission of this supplemental reissue oath/declaration to obviate the rejection cannot be deferred by applicant until the application is otherwise in condition for allowance. In this instance, a proper statement of error was never provided in the initial reissue oath/declaration, thus a supplemental oath/declaration is required in reply to the Office action in order to properly establish grounds for reissue.
A different situation may arise where the initial reissue oath/declaration does properly identify one or more errors under 35 U.S.C. 251 as being the basis for reissue, however, because of changes or amendments made during prosecution, none of the identified errors are relied upon any more. A supplemental oath/declaration will be needed to identify at least one error now being relied upon as the basis for reissue, even though the prior oath/declaration was earlier found proper by the examiner. The supplemental oath/declaration need not also indicate that the error(s) identified in the prior oath(s)/declaration(s) is/are no longer being corrected. In this instance, applicant's submission of the supplemental reissue oath/declaration to obviate the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 251 can, at applicant's option, be deferred until the application is otherwise in condition for allowance. The submission can be deferred because a proper statement of error was provided in the initial reissue oath/declaration. Applicant need only request that submission of the supplemental reissue oath/declaration be deferred until allowance, and such a request will be considered a complete reply to the rejection.
SUPPLEMENTAL REISSUE OATH/DECLARATION UNDER 37 CFR 1.175(b)(1):
Once the reissue oath/declaration is found to comply with 37 CFR 1.175(a), it is not required, nor is it suggested, that a new reissue oath/declaration be submitted together with each new amendment and correction of error in the patent. During the prosecution of a reissue application, amendments are often made and additional errors in the patent are corrected. A supplemental oath/declaration need not be submitted with each amendment and additional correction. Rather, it is suggested that the reissue applicant wait until the case is in condition for allowance, and then submit a cumulative supplemental reissue oath/declaration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.175(b)(1).
See MPEP § 1414.01 for a discussion of the required content of a supplemental reissue oath/declaration under 37 CFR 1.175(b)(1).
A supplemental oath/declaration under 37 CFR 1.175(b)(1) must be submitted before allowance. It may be submitted with any reply prior to allowance. It may be submitted to overcome a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 251 made by the examiner, where it is indicated that the submission of the supplemental oath/declaration will overcome the rejection.
A supplemental oath/declaration under 37 CFR 1.175(b)(1) will be required where:
(A) the application is otherwise (other than the need for this supplemental oath/declaration) in condition for allowance;
(B) amendments or other corrections of errors in the patent have been made subsequent to the last oath/declaration filed in the application; and
(C) at least one of the amendments or other corrections corrects an error under 35 U.S.C. 251.
When a supplemental oath/declaration under 37 CFR 1.175(b)(1) directed to the amendments or other corrections of error is required, the examiner is encouraged to telephone the applicant and request the submission of the supplemental oath/declaration by fax. If the circumstances do not permit making a telephone call, or if applicant declines or is unable to promptly submit the oath/declaration, the examiner should issue a final Office action (final rejection) and use form paragraph 14.05.02 where the action issued is a second or subsequent action on the merits.
¶ 14.05.02 Supplemental Oath or Declaration Required Prior to Allowance
In accordance with 37 CFR 1.175(b)(1), a supplemental reissue oath/declaration under 37 CFR 1.175(b)(1) must be received before this reissue application can be allowed.
Claim [1] rejected as being based upon a defective reissue [2] under 35 U.S.C. 251. See 37 CFR 1.175. The nature of the defect is set forth above.
Receipt of an appropriate supplemental oath/declaration under 37 CFR 1.175(b)(1) will overcome this rejection under 35 U.S.C. 251. An example of acceptable language to be used in the supplemental oath/declaration is as follows:
"Every error in the patent which was corrected in the present reissue application, and is not covered by a prior oath/declaration submitted in this application, arose without any deceptive intention on the part of the applicant."
Examiner Note
1. In bracket 1, list all claims in the reissue application.
2. In bracket 2, insert either --oath-- or --declaration--.
3. This form paragraph is used in an Office action to: (a) remind applicant of the requirement for submission of the supplemental reissue oath/declaration under 37 CFR 1.175(b)(1) before allowance and (b) at the same time, reject all the claims since the reissue application is defective until the supplemental oath/declaration is submitted.
4. Do not use this form paragraph if no amendments (or other corrections of the patent) have been made subsequent to the last oath/declaration filed in the case; instead allow the case.
5. This form paragraph cannot be used in an Ex parte Quayle action to require the supplemental oath/declaration, because the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 251 is more than a matter of form.
6. Do not use this form paragraph in an examiner's amendment. The supplemental oath/declaration must be filed prior to mailing of the Notice of Allowability.
As noted above, the examiner will issue a final Office action where the application is otherwise in condition for allowance, and amendments or other corrections of error in the patent have been made subsequent to the last oath/declaration filed in the application. The examiner will be introducing (via form paragraph 14.05.02) a rejection into the case for the first time in the prosecution, when the claims have been determined to be otherwise allowable. This introduction of a new ground of rejection under 35 U.S.C. 251 will not prevent the action from being made final on a second or subsequent action because of the following factors:
(A) The finding of the case in condition for allowance is the first opportunity that the examiner has to make the rejection;
(B) The rejection is being made in reply to, i.e., was caused by, an amendment of the application (to correct errors in the patent);
(C) All applicants are on notice that this rejection will be made upon finding of the case otherwise in condition for allowance where errors have been corrected subsequent to the last oath/declaration filed in the case, so that the rejection should have been expected by applicant; and
(D) The rejection will not prevent applicant from exercising any rights to cure the rejection, since applicant need only submit a supplemental oath/declaration with the above-described language, and it will be entered to cure the rejection.
Where the application is in condition for allowance and no amendments or other corrections of error in the patent have been made subsequent to the last oath/declaration filed in the application, a supplemental reissue oath/declaration under 37 CFR 1.175(b)(1) should not be required by the examiner. Instead, the examiner should issue a Notice of Allowability indicating allowance of the claims.
AFTER ALLOWANCE
Where applicant seeks to correct an error after allowance of the application, any amendment of the patent correcting the error must be submitted in accordance with 37 CFR 1.312. As set forth in 37 CFR 1.312, no amendment may be made as a matter of right in an application after the mailing of the notice of allowance. An amendment filed under 37 CFR 1.312 must be filed before or with the payment of the issue fee and may be entered on the recommendation of the primary examiner, and approved by the supervisory patent examiner, without withdrawing the case from issue.
Because the amendment seeks to correct an error in the patent, the amendment will affect the disclosure, the scope of a claim, or add a claim. Thus, in accordance with MPEP § 714.16, the remarks accompanying the amendment must fully and clearly state:
(A) why the amendment is needed;
(B) why the proposed amended or new claims require no additional search or examination;
(C) why the claims are patentable; and
(D) why they were not presented earlier.
A supplemental reissue oath/declaration must accompany the amendment. The supplemental reissue oath/declaration must state that the error(s) to be corrected arose without any deceptive intention on the part of the applicant. The supplemental reissue oath/declaration submitted after allowance must be directed to the error(s) applicant seeks to correct after allowance. This oath/declaration need not cover any earlier errors, since all earlier errors should have been covered by a reissue oath/declaration submitted prior to allowance.
Occasionally correcting an error after allowance does not include an amendment of the specification or claims of the patent. For example, the correction of the error could be the filing of a certified copy of the original foreign application (prior to the payment of the issue fee - see 37 CFR 1.55(a)(2)) to obtain the right of foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (see Brenner v. State of Israel, 400 F.2d 789, 158 USPQ 584 (D.C. Cir. 1968)) where the claim for foreign priority had been timely made in the application for the original patent. In such a case, the requirements of 37 CFR 1.312 must still be met. This is so, because the correction of the patent is an amendment of the patent, even though no amendment is physically entered into the case. Thus, for a reissue oath/declaration submitted after allowance to correct an additional error (or errors), the reissue applicant must comply with 37 CFR 1.312 in the manner discussed above.
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