Source: https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/s2658.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 04:55:01+00:00

Document:
37 CFR 1.906 Scope of reexamination in inter partes reexamination proceeding.
Where new or amended 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. See MPEP § 2258 for a discussion of the examination based upon 35 U.S.C. 112 in an ex parte reexamination proceeding ordered under 35 U.S.C. 304 , which discussion applies to inter partes reexamination in the same way it applies to ex parte reexamination ordered under 35 U.S.C. 304 . See also In re NTP, Inc., 654 F.3d 1268, 99 USPQ2d 1500 (Fed. Cir. 2011)(holding that the Office is not prohibited from performing a 35 U.S.C. 112 written description priority analysis during reexamination).
Where new claims are presented, or where any part of the disclosure is amended, the claims of the inter partes reexamination proceeding should be examined under 35 U.S.C. 314, to determine whether they enlarge the scope of the original claims. 35 U.S.C. 314(a) states that “no proposed amended or new claim enlarging the scope of the claims of the patent shall be permitted” in an inter partes reexamination proceeding.
Patent claims not subject to reexamination because of their prior adjudication by a court should be identified. See MPEP § 2642. For handling a “live” claim dependent on a patent claim not subject to reexamination, see MPEP § 2660.03. All added claims will be examined.
The Office’s determination in both the order for reexamination and the examination stage of the reexamination will generally be limited solely to a review of the “live” claims (i.e., existing claims not held invalid by a final decision, after all appeals) for which reexamination has been requested. If the requester was interested in having all of the claims reexamined, requester had the opportunity to include them in its request for reexamination. However, if the requester chose not to do so, those claim(s) for which reexamination was not requested will generally not be reexamined by the Office. It is further noted that 35 U.S.C. 311(b)(2) requires that a requester “set forth the pertinency and manner of applying cited prior art to every claim for which reexamination is requested.” If the requester fails to apply the art to certain claims, then the requester is not statutorily entitled to reexamination of such claims. If a request fails to set forth the pertinency and manner of applying the cited art to any claim for which reexamination is requested as required by 37 CFR 1.915(b), that claim will generally not be reexamined.
The decision to reexamine any claim for which reexamination has not been requested lies within the sole discretion of the Office, to be exercised based on the individual facts and situation of each individual case. If the Office chooses to reexamine any claim for which reexamination has not been requested, it is permitted to do so. In addition, the Office may always initiate a reexamination on its own initiative of the non-requested claim (35 U.S.C. 303(a)). Similarly, if prior art patents or printed publications are discovered during reexamination which raise a substantial new question of patentability (for a reexamination filed under that standard) or a reasonable likelihood that the requester will prevail (for a reexamination filed under that standard) as to one or more patent claims for which reexamination has not been ordered (while reexamination has been ordered for other claims in the patent), and these documents in turn raise a compelling rejection of such claims, then such claims may be added, within the sole discretion of the Office, during the examination phase of the proceeding.
Restriction requirements cannot be made in a reexamination proceeding since no statutory basis exists for restriction in a reexamination proceeding. Note also that the addition of claims to a “separate and distinct” invention to the patent would be considered as being an enlargement of the scope of the patent claims and therefore are prohibited during reexamination. See Ex parte Wikdahl, 10 USPQ2d 1546 (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1989). See MPEP § 1412.03.
Affidavits under 37 CFR 1.131(a) and 1.132 may be utilized in a reexamination proceeding. Note, however, that an affidavit under 37 CFR 1.131(a) may not be used to “swear behind” 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 1.131(c) (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).

References: § 2258
 § 2642
 § 2660
 § 1412
 § 718
 § 1449