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2258 Scope of Reexamination [R-2] - 2200 Citation of Prior Art and Ex Parte Reexamination of Patents
2258 Scope of Reexamination [R-2]
37 CFR 1.552 Scope of reexamination in ex parte reexamination proceedings.
(a) Claims in an ex parte reexamination proceeding will be examined on the basis of patents or printed publications and, with respect to subject matter added or deleted in the reexamination proceeding, on the basis of the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112.
(b) Claims in an ex parte reexamination proceeding will not be permitted to enlarge the scope of the claims of the patent.
(c) Issues other than those indicated in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section will not be resolved in a reexamination proceeding. If such issues are raised by the patent owner or third party requester during a reexamination proceeding, the existence of such issues will be noted by the examiner in the next Office action, in which case the patent owner may consider the advisability of filing a reissue application to have such issues considered and resolved.
The reexamination proceeding provides a complete reexamination of the patent claims on the basis of prior art patents and printed publications. Issues relating to 35 U.S.C. 112 are addressed only with respect to new claims or amendatory subject matter in the specification, claims or drawings. Any new or amended claims are examined to ensure that the scope of the original patent claims is not enlarged, i.e., broadened. See 35 U.S.C. 305.
I. PRIOR >ART< PATENTS OR PRINTED PUBLICATIONS
Rejections on prior art in reexamination proceedings may only be made on the basis of prior >art< patents or printed publications. Prior art rejections may be based upon the following portions of 35 U.S.C. 102:
"(a) . . . patented or described in a printed publication in this or a foreign country, before the invention thereof by the applicant for patent, or"
"(b) the invention was patented or described in a printed publication in this or a foreign country . . . more than one year prior to the date of the application for patent in the United States, or"
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"(d) the invention was first patented or caused to be patented, or was the subject of an inventor's certificate, by the applicant or his legal representatives or assigns in a foreign country prior to the date of the application for patent in this country on an application for patent or inventor's certificate filed more than twelve months before the filing of the application in the United States, or"
**> "(e) the invention was described in - (1) an application for patent, published under section 122(b), by another filed in the United States before the invention by the applicant for patent or (2) a patent granted on an application for patent by another filed in the United States before the invention by the applicant for patent, except that an international application filed under the treaty defined in section 351(a) shall have the effects for the purposes of this subsection of an application filed in the United States only if the international application designated the United States and was published under Article 21(2) of such treaty in the English language; or" <
"(f) he did not himself invent the subject matter sought to be patented, or"
"(g)(1) during the course of an interference conducted under section 135 or section 291, another inventor involved therein establishes, to the extent permitted in section 104, that before such person's invention thereof the invention was made by such other inventor and not abandoned, suppressed, or concealed, or (2) before such person's invention thereof, the invention was made in this country by another inventor who had not abandoned, suppressed, or concealed it. In determining priority of invention under this subsection, there shall be considered not only the respective dates of conception and reduction to practice of the invention, but also the reasonable diligence of one who was first to conceive and last to reduce to practice, from a time prior to conception by the other."
Rejections made under 35 U.S.C. 102(f) or (g) based on the prior invention of another must be disclosed in a patent or printed publication. Similarly, substantial new grounds of patentability may also be made under 35 U.S.C. 103 which are based on the above indicated portions of 35 U.S.C. 102.
A substantial new question of patentability may be found under 35 U.S.C. 102(f) or (g)/ 103 based on the prior invention of another disclosed in a patent or printed publication, if there was no common ownership at the time the claimed invention was made. See MPEP § 706.02(l). See MPEP § 706.02(l)(1) for information pertaining to references which qualify as prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(e)/ 103.
A. Previously Considered Prior Art Patents or Printed Publications
After reexamination is ordered based on a proper substantial new question of patentability, >the propriety of making a ground of rejection based on prior art previously considered by the Office (in an earlier examination of the patent) is governed by the guidance set forth in MPEP § 2258.01. Note also< In re Hiniker Co., 150 F.3d 1362, 1367, 47 USPQ2d 1523,1527 (Fed. Cir. 1998)(court held the reexamination proceeding was supported by a substantial new question of patentability where the rejection before the court was based on a combination of art that had been before the examiner during the original prosecution, and art newly cited during the reexamination proceeding.) The court further stated that any error in the Commissioner's authority to institute a reexamination was "washed clean" during the reexamination procedure.
B. Matters Other Than Patents or Printed Publications
Rejections will not be based on matters other than patents or printed publications, such as public use or sale, inventorship, 35 U.S.C. 101, fraud, etc. In this regard, see In re Lanham, 1 USPQ2d 1877 (Comm'r Pat. 1986), and Stewart Systems v. Comm'r of Patents and Trademarks, 1 USPQ2d 1879 (E.D. Va. 1986). A rejection on prior public use or sale, insufficiency of disclosure, etc., cannot be made even if it relies on a prior >art< patent or printed publication. Prior >art< patents or printed publications must be applied under an appropriate portion of 35 U.S.C. 102 and/or 103 when making a rejection.
C. Intervening Patents or Printed Publications
Rejections may be made in reexamination proceedings based on intervening patents or printed publications where the patent claims under reexamination are entitled only to the filing date of the patent and are not supported by an earlier foreign or United States patent application whose filing date is claimed. For example, under 35 U.S.C. 120, the effective date of these claims would be the filing date of the application which resulted in the patent. Intervening patents or printed publications are available as prior art under In re Ruscetta, 255 F.2d 687, 118 USPQ 101 (CCPA 1958), and In re van *>Langenhoven<, 458 F.2d 132, 173 USPQ 426 (CCPA 1972). See also MPEP § 201.11.
D. Double Patenting
Double patenting is normally proper for consideration in reexamination. See In re Lonardo, 119 F.3d 960, 43 USPQ2d 1262 (Fed. Cir. 1997). In Lonardo, the Federal Circuit reviewed and interpreted the language of 35 U.S.C. 303 and stated that:
Since the statute in other places refers to prior art in relation to reexamination, see id., it seems apparent that Congress intended that the phrases 'patents and publications' and 'other patents or printed publications' in section 303(a) not be limited to prior art patents or printed publications. . Finally, it is reasonable to conclude that Congress intended to include double patenting over a prior patent as a basis for reexamination because maintenance of a patent that creates double patenting is as much of an imposition on the public as maintenance of patent that is unpatentable over prior art. Thus, we conclude that the PTO was authorized during reexamination to consider the question of double patenting based upon the `762 patent.
In re Lonardo, 119 F.3d at 966, 43 USPQ2d at 1266. Accordingly, the issue of double patenting is appropriate for consideration in reexamination, both as a basis for ordering reexamination and during subsequent examination on the merits. The issue of double patenting is to be considered by the examiner when making the decision on the request for reexamination. The examiner should determine whether the issue of double patenting raises a substantial new question of patentability. The issue of double patenting is also to be considered during the examination stage of reexamination proceeding. In the examination stage, the examiner should determine whether a rejection based on double patenting is appropriate.
See also Ex parte Obiaya, 227 USPQ 58, 60 (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1985) ("Double patenting rejections are analogous to rejections under 35 U.S.C. 103 and depend on the presence of a prior patent as the basis for the rejection").
As is the case for an application, a judicially created double patenting rejection (made in a reexamination) can be overcome by the filing of a terminal disclaimer in accordance with 37 CFR 1.321(c). Where a terminal disclaimer is submitted in a reexamination proceeding, form paragraph 14.23.01 should be used if the terminal disclaimer is proper. If the terminal disclaimer is not proper, form paragraph 14.25 should be used, and one or more of the appropriate form paragraphs 14.26 to 14.32 must follow form paragraph 14.25 to indicate why the terminal disclaimer is not accepted. See also MPEP § 1490.
E. Affidavits or Declarations
Affidavits or declarations which explain the contents or pertinent dates of prior >art< patents or printed publications in more detail may be considered in reexamination, but any rejection must be based upon the prior >art< patents or printed publications as explained by the affidavits or declarations. The rejection in such circumstances cannot be based on the affidavits or declarations as such, but must be based on the prior >art< patents or printed publications.
F. Admissions; Use of Admissions
1. Initial Reexamination Determination and Order
The consideration under 35 U.S.C. 303 of a request for reexamination is limited to prior art patents and printed publications. See Ex parte McGaughey, 6 USPQ2d 1334, 1337 (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1988). Thus an admission, per se, may not be the basis for establishing a substantial new question of patentability. However, an admission by the patent owner of record in the file or in a court record may be utilized in combination with a patent or printed publication.
2. Reexamination Ordered, Examination on the Merits
After reexamination has been ordered, the examination on the merits is dictated by 35 U.S.C. 305, see Ex parte McGaughey, 6 USPQ2d 1334, 1337 (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1988).
Admissions by the patent owner in the record as to matters affecting patentability may be utilized in a reexamination proceeding; see 37 CFR 1.104(c)(3).
37 CFR 1.104(c)(3) provides that admissions by the patent owners as to matters affecting patentability may be utilized in a reexamination proceeding. The Supreme Court when discussing 35 U.S.C. 103 in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 6, 148 USPQ 459 (1966) stated, inter alia, "the scope and content of the prior art are to be determined." Accordingly, a proper evaluation of the scope and content of the prior art in determining obviousness would require a utilization of any "admission" by the patent owner which can be used to interpret or modify a patent or printed publication applied in a reexamination proceeding. This is true whether such admission results from a patent or printed publication or from some other source. An admission as to what is in the prior art is simply that, an admission, and requires no independent proof. It is an acknowledged, declared, conceded, or recognized fact or truth, Ex parte McGaughey, 6 USPQ2d 1334, 1337 (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1988). While the scope and content of the admission may sometimes have to be determined, this can be done from the record and from the paper file in the same manner as with patents and printed publications. To ignore an admission by the patent owner, from any source, and not use the admission as part of the prior art in conjunction with patents and printed publications in reexamination would make it impossible for the examiner to properly determine the scope and content of the prior art as required by Graham, supra.
The Board of Appeals upheld the use of an admission in a reexamination proceeding in Ex parte Seiko Koko Kabushiki Kaisha, 225 USPQ 1260 (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1984), Ex parte Kimbell, 226 USPQ 688 (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1985) and in Ex parte McGaughey, 6 USPQ2d 1334 (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1988). In Seiko, the Board relied on In re Nomiya, 509 F.2d 566, 184 USPQ 607 (CCPA 1975) holding an admission of prior art in the specification of the parent undergoing reexamination is considered prior art which may be considered as evidence of obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103. In Kimbell, the Board referred to the patent specification and noted the admission by appellant that an explosion-proof housing was well known at the time of the invention. In Ex parte McGaughey, 6 USPQ2d 1334, 1337 (Bd. Pat. App. & Int. 1988), the Board held that any equivocal admission relating to prior art is a fact which is part of the scope and content of the prior art and that prior art admissions established in the record are to be considered in reexamination. An admission from any source can be used with respect to interpreting or modifying a prior art patent or printed publication, in a reexamination proceeding. The Board expressly overruled the prior Board decision in Ex parte Horton, 226 USPQ 697 (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1985) which held that admissions which are used as a basis for a rejection in reexamination must relate to patents and printed publications.
The admission can reside in the patent file (made of record during the prosecution of the patent application) or may be presented during the pendency of the reexamination proceeding or in litigation. Admissions by the patent owner as to any matter affecting patentability may be utilized to determine the scope and content of the prior art in conjunction with patents and printed publications in a prior art rejection, whether such admissions result from patents or printed publications or from some other source. An admission relating to any prior art (e.g., on sale, public use) established in the record or in court may be used by the examiner in combination with patents or printed publications in a reexamination proceeding. Any admission submitted by the patent owner is proper. A third party, however, may not submit admissions of the patent owner made outside the record. Such a submission would be outside the scope of reexamination.
G. Claim Interpretation and Treatment
Original patent claims will be examined only on the basis of prior art patents or printed publications applied under the appropriate parts of 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103. See MPEP § 2217. During reexamination, claims are given the broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the specification and limitations in the specification are not read into the claims (In re Yamamoto, 740 F.2d 1569, 222 USPQ 934 (Fed. Cir. 1984)). In a reexamination proceeding involving claims of an expired patent, which are not subject to amendment, a policy of narrow construction should be applied. Such a policy favors a construction of a patent claim that will render it valid; i.e., a narrow construction, over a broad construction that would render it invalid. See In re Papst-Motoren, 1 USPQ2d *>1655< (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1986). The statutory presumption of validity, 35 U.S.C. 282, has no application in reexamination (In re Etter, 756 F.2d 852, 225 USPQ 1 (Fed. Cir. 1985)).
II. COMPLIANCE WITH 35 U.S.C. 112
Where new claims are presented or where any part of the disclosure is amended, the claims of the reexamination proceeding, are to be examined for compliance with 35 U.S.C. 112. Consideration of 35 U.S.C. 112 issues should, however, be limited to the amendatory (e.g., new language) matter. For example, a claim which is amended or a new claim which is presented containing a limitation not found in the original patent claim should be considered for compliance under 35 U.S.C. 112 only with respect to that limitation. To go further would be inconsistent with the statute to the extent that 35 U.S.C. 112 issues would be raised as to matter in the original patent claim. Thus, a term in a patent claim which the examiner might deem to be too broad cannot be considered as too broad in a new or amended claim unless the amendatory matter in the new or amended claim creates the issue.
A. 35 U.S.C. 112 Issues To Be Considered
Compliance of new or amended claims with the enablement and/or description requirements of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112 should be considered as to the amendatory and new text in the reexamination proceeding. Likewise, the examiner should determine whether the new or amended claims comply with the second paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112. MPEP § 2163 - § 2173.05(v) provide extensive guidance as to these matters.
B. New Matter
35 U.S.C. 305 provides for examination under 35 U.S.C. 132, which prohibits the introduction of new matter into the disclosure. Thus, the question of new matter should be considered in a reexamination proceeding. See MPEP § 2163.06 as to the relationship of the written description requirement of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112 and the new matter prohibition under 35 U.S.C. 132. Where the new matter is added to the claims or affects claim limitations, the claims should be rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112, first paragraph, for failing to meet the written description requirement.
C. Amendment of the Specification
Where the specification is amended in a reexamination proceeding, the examiner should make certain that the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112 are met. An amendment to the specification can redefine the scope of the terms in a claim such that the claim is no longer clear or is not supported by the specification. Thus, an amendment to the specification can result in the failure of the claims to comply with 35 U.S.C. 112, even where the claims are not amended in any respect.
III. CLAIMS IN PROCEEDING MUST NOT ENLARGE SCOPE OF THE CLAIMS OF THE PATENT
Where new or amended claims are presented or where any part of the disclosure is amended, the claims of the reexamination proceeding should be examined under 35 U.S.C. 305, to determine whether they enlarge the scope of the original claims. 35 U.S.C. 305 states that "no proposed amended or new claim enlarging the scope of the claims of the patent will be permitted in a reexamination proceeding...".
A. Criteria for Enlargement of the Scope of the Claims
A claim presented in a reexamination proceeding "enlarges the scope" of the claims of the patent being reexamined where the claim is broader than each and every claim of the patent. See MPEP § 1412.03 for guidance as to when the presented claim is considered to be a broadening claim as compared with the claims of the patent, i.e., what is broadening and what is not. If a claim is considered to be a broadening claim for purposes of reissue, it is likewise considered to be a broadening claim in reexamination.
B. Amendment of the Specification
Where the specification is amended in a reexamination proceeding, the examiner should make certain that the amendment to the specification does not enlarge the scope of the claims of the patent. An amendment to the specification can enlarge the scope of the claims by redefining the scope of the terms in a claim, even where the claims are not amended in any respect.
C. Rejection of Claims Where There Is Enlargement
Any claim in a reexamination proceeding which enlarges the scope of the claims of the patent should be rejected under 35 U.S.C. 305. Form paragraph 22.11 is to be employed in making the rejection.
**>¶ 22.11 Rejection, 35 U.S.C. 305, Claim Enlarges Scope of Patent - Ex Parte Reexamination
Claim [1] rejected under 35 U.S.C. 305 as enlarging the scope of the claim(s) of the patent being reexamined. In 35 U.S.C. 305, it is stated that "[n]o proposed amended or new claim enlarging the scope of a claim of the patent will be permitted in a reexamination proceeding...." A claim presented in a reexamination "enlarges the scope" of the patent claim(s) where the claim is broader than any claim of the patent. A claim is broader in scope than the original claims if it contains within its scope any conceivable product or process which would not have infringed the original patent. A claim is broadened if it is broader in any one respect, even though it may be narrower in other respects.
[2]
Examiner Note
The claim limitations which are considered to broaden the scope should be identified and explained in bracket 2. See MPEP § 2258.<IV. OTHER MATTERS
>A. Patent Under Reexamination Subject Of A Prior Office Or Court Decision<
Where some of the patent claims in a patent being reexamined have been the subject of a prior Office or court decision, see MPEP § 2242. Where other proceedings involving the patent are copending with the reexamination proceeding, see MPEP § 2282 - § 2286.
>Patent claims not subject to reexamination because of their prior adjudication by a court should be identified. See MPEP § 2242. For handling a "live" claim dependent on a patent claim not subject to reexamination, see MPEP § 2260.01. All added claims will be examined.
Where grounds are set forth in a prior Office decision or Federal Court decision, which are not based on patents or printed publications and which clearly raise questions as to the validity of the claims, the examiner's Office action should clearly state that the claims have not been examined as to those grounds not based on patents or printed publications that were stated in the prior decision. See 37 CFR 1.552(c). See In re Knight, 217 USPQ 294 (Comm'r Pat. 1982). All claims under reexamination should, however, be reexamined, but only on the basis of prior art patents and printed publications.
B. All "Live" Claims Are Reexamined During Reexamination<
Even when a request for reexamination does not present a substantial new question as to all *>"live" claims (i.e., each existing claim not held invalid by a final decision, after all appeals<, each claim of the patent will be reexamined. The resulting reexamination certificate will indicate the status of all of the patent claims and any added patentable claims.
>C. Restriction Not Proper In Reexamination<
Restriction requirements cannot be made in a reexamination proceeding since no statutory basis exists for restriction in a reexamination proceeding.
>D. Ancillary Matters<
There are matters ancillary to reexamination which are necessary and incident to patentability which will be considered. Amendments may be made to the specification to correct, for example, an inadvertent failure to claim foreign priority or the continuing status of the patent relative to a parent application if such correction is necessary to overcome a reference applied against a claim of the patent.
>E. Claiming Foreign And Domestic Priority In Reexamination
The patent owner may obtain the right of foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d) where a claim for priority had been made before the patent was granted, and it is only necessary for submission of the certified copy in the reexamination proceeding to perfect priority. Likewise, patent owner may obtain the right of foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d) where it is necessary to submit for the first time both the claim for priority and the certified copy. However, where it is necessary to submit for the first time both the claim for priority and the certified copy, and the patent to be reexamined matured from a utility or plant application filed on or after November 29, 2000, then the patent owner must also file a grantable petition for an unintentionally delayed priority claim under 37 CFR 1.55(c). See MPEP § 201.14(a).
Also, patent owner may correct the failure to adequately claim (in the application for the patent reexamined) benefit under 35 U.S.C. 120 of an earlier filed copending U.S. patent application. For a patent to be reexamined which matured from a utility or plant application filed on or after November 29, 2000, the patent owner must file a grantable petition for an unintentionally delayed priority claim under 37 CFR 1.78(a)(3). See MPEP § 201.11.
For a patent to be reexamined which matured from a utility or plant application filed before November 29, 2000, the patent owner can correct via reexamination the failure to adequately claim benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of an earlier filed provisional application. Under no circumstances can a reexamination proceeding be employed to add or correct a benefit claim under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) for a patent matured from a utility or plant application filed on or after November 29, 2000.
Section 4503 of the American Inventor's Protection Act of 1999 (AIPA) amended 35 U.S.C. 119(e)(1) to state that:
No application shall be entitled to the benefit of an earlier filed provisional application under this subsection unless an amendment containing the specific reference to the earlier filed provisional application is submitted at such time during the pendency of the application as required by the Director. The Director may consider the failure to submit such an amendment within that time period as a waiver of any benefit under this subsection. The Director may establish procedures, including the payment of a surcharge, to accept an unintentionally delayed submission of an amendment under this section during the pendency of the application.
35 U.S.C. 119(e)(1), as amended by the AIPA, clearly prohibits the addition or correction of benefit claims under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) when the application is no longer pending, e.g., an issued patent. Therefore, a reexamination is not a valid mechanism for adding or correcting a benefit claim under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) after a patent has been granted (for a patent matured from a utility or plant application filed on or after November 29, 2000).<
No renewal of previously made claims for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 or **>domestic benefit< under 35 U.S.C. >119(e) or< 120, is necessary during reexamination.
>F. Correction Of Inventorship<
Correction of inventorship may also be made during reexamination. See 37 CFR 1.324 and MPEP § 1481 for petition for correction of inventorship in a patent. If a petition filed under 37 CFR 1.324 is granted, a Certificate of Correction indicating the change of inventorship will not be issued, because the reexamination certificate that will ultimately issue will contain the appropriate change-of-inventorship information (i.e., the Certificate of Correction is in effect merged with the reexamination certificate).
> G. Affidavits In Reexamination<
Affidavits under 37 CFR 1.131 and 1.132 may be utilized in a reexamination proceeding. Note, however, that an affidavit under 37 CFR 1.131 may not be used to "swear back" of a reference patent if the reference patent is claiming the "same invention" as the patent undergoing reexamination. In such a situation, the patent owner may, if appropriate, seek to raise this issue >via an affidavit under 37 CFR 1.130 (see MPEP § 718) or< in an interference proceeding via an appropriate reissue application if such a reissue application may be filed ** >(see MPEP § 1449.02).
H. Issues Not Considered In Reexamination<
If questions other than those indicated above (for example, questions of patentability based on * public use or >on< sale, fraud, abandonment under 35 U.S.C. 102(c), etc.) are *>raised by the third party requester or the patent owner< during a reexamination proceeding, the existence of such questions will be noted by the examiner in an Office action, in which case the patent owner may desire to consider the advisability of filing a reissue application to have such questions considered and resolved. Such questions could arise in a reexamination requester's 37 CFR 1.510 request or in a 37 CFR 1.535 reply by the requester. Note form paragraph 22.03.
**>¶ 22.03 Issue Not Within Scope of Ex Parte Reexamination
It is noted that an issue not within the scope of reexamination proceedings has been raised. [1]. The issue will not be considered in a reexamination proceeding. 37 CFR 1.552(c). While this issue is not within the scope of reexamination, the patentee is advised that it may be desirable to consider filing a reissue application provided that the patentee believes one or more claims to be partially or wholly inoperative or invalid based upon the issue.
Examiner Note
1. In bracket 1, identify the issues.
2. This paragraph may be used either when the patent owner or third party requester raises issues such as public use or on sale, fraud, or abandonment of the invention. Such issues should not be raised independently by the patent examiner.
If questions of patentability based on public use or on sale, fraud, abandonment under 35 U.S.C. 102(c), etc. are independently discovered by the examiner during a reexamination proceeding but were not raised by the third party requester or the patent owner, the existence of such questions will not be noted by the examiner in an Office action, because 37 CFR 1.552(c) is only directed to such questions "raised by the patent owner or the third party requester."
I. Request For Reexamination Filed On Patent After It Has Been Reissued<
Where a request for reexamination is filed on a patent after it has been reissued, reexamination will be denied because the patent on which the request for reexamination is based has been surrendered. Should reexamination of the reissued patent be desired, a new request for reexamination including, and based on, the specification and claims of the reissue patent must be filed.
Any amendment made by the patent owner to accompany the initial reexamination request, or in later prosecution of the reexamination proceeding, should treat the changes made by the granted reissue patent as the text of the patent, and all bracketing and underlining made with respect to the patent as changed by the reissue.
Where the reissue patent issues after the filing of a request for reexamination, see MPEP § 2285.
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