Source: https://bitlaw.com/source/mpep/724_06.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 10:45:25+00:00

Document:
37 C.F.R. 1.59 Expungement of information or copy of papers in application file.
(1) Information in an application will not be expunged, except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section or § 41.7(a) or § 42.7(a) of this title.
(2) Information forming part of the original disclosure (i.e., written specification including the claims, drawings, and any preliminary amendment present on the filing date of the application) will not be expunged from the application file.
(b) An applicant may request that the Office expunge information, other than what is excluded by paragraph (a)(2) of this section, by filing a petition under this paragraph. Any petition to expunge information from an application must include the fee set forth in § 1.17(g) and establish to the satisfaction of the Director that the expungement of the information is appropriate in which case a notice granting the petition for expungement will be provided.
(c) Upon request by an applicant and payment of the fee specified in § 1.19(b), the Office will furnish copies of an application, unless the application has been disposed of (see §§ 1.53(e), (f) and (g) ). The Office cannot provide or certify copies of an application that has been disposed of.
37 CFR 1.59 provides that information, other than the original disclosure of the application, may be expunged from the file wrapper provided a petition to expunge under 37 CFR 1.59(b) and the required fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(g) are filed, and further that petitioner has established to the satisfaction of the Director that the return of the information is appropriate. Expungement of information that was originally submitted to the Office under MPEP § 724.02, or that should have been submitted in a sealed envelope as discussed in MPEP § 724.02, is appropriate when the petitioner complies with items (A)-(E) set forth in MPEP § 724.05, paragraph I, and the examiner or other appropriate Office official who is responsible for considering the information has determined that the information is not material to patentability. Expungement of information that was inadvertently submitted to the Office is appropriate provided that items (A)-(F) set forth in MPEP § 724.05, paragraph II, are satisfied. See also MPEP § 724.
Where the information to be expunged was not submitted pursuant to MPEP § 724.02 or as part of an Information Disclosure Statement, the petition should be sent to the Office of Petitions for decision.
The decision on the petition to expunge should be held in abeyance until the application is allowed or an Ex parte Quayle action, or a Notice of Abandonment is mailed, at which time the petition will be decided. However, where it is clear that the information was submitted in the wrong application, then the decision on the petition should not be held in abeyance. See MPEP § 724.05, paragraph III. In a pending application that has not been allowed or in which an Ex parte Quayle action has not been mailed, the examiner may not have finally considered what is material to a decision of patentability of the claims. Petitioner may be notified that the decision on the petition under 37 CFR 1.59(b) to expunge information in an application will be held in abeyance and be decided upon allowance of the application, or the mailing of an Ex parte Quayle action or a Notice of Abandonment using form paragraph 7.204.
This is a response to the petition under 37 CFR 1.59(b), filed , to expunge information from the above identified application.
The decision on the petition will be held in abeyance until allowance of the application or mailing of an Ex parte Quayle action or a Notice of Abandonment, at which time the petition will be decided.
Petitioner requests that a document entitled , filed , be expunged from the record. Petitioner states either: (A) that the information contains trade secret material, proprietary material and/or material that is subject to a protective order which has not been made public; or (B) that the information submitted was unintentionally submitted and the failure to obtain its return would cause irreparable harm to the party who submitted the information or to the party in interest on whose behalf the information was submitted, and the information has not otherwise been made public. The petition fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(g) has been paid.
The decision on the petition is held in abeyance because prosecution on the merits is not closed. Accordingly, it is not appropriate to make a final determination of whether or not the material requested to be expunged is "material," with "materiality" being defined as any information which the examiner considers as being important to a determination of patentability of the claims. Thus, the decision on the petition to expunge must be held in abeyance at this time.
During prosecution on the merits, the examiner will determine whether or not the identified document is considered to be "material." If the information is not considered by the examiner to be material, the information will be removed from the official file.
1. A Technology Center Director decides this petition only if the information was submitted either pursuant to MPEP § 724.02 or in an information disclosure statement.
(b) the petition is also accompanied by a petition under 37 CFR 1.183 requesting waiver of one of the requirements explicitly set forth in 37 CFR 1.59 (e.g., requesting expungement of part of the original disclosure).
3. This decision is printed with the USPTO letterhead.
4. In bracket 6, clearly identify the document which petitioner requests to expunge. For example, refer to the author and title of the document.
5. Mail with PTO-90C cover sheet.
When an application has been allowed, an Ex parte Quayle action has been mailed, or an application is abandoned, a petition to expunge should be decided by a TC Director (see MPEP § 1002.02(c)). At this time a determination must be made as to whether the information in question is material. Form paragraph 7.205 should be used to grant a petition to expunge, whereas form paragraphs 7.206 - 7.213 should be used to dismiss such a petition.
This is a decision on the petition under 37 CFR 1.59(b), filed , to expunge information from the above identified application.
Petitioner requests that a document entitled , filed , be expunged from the record. Petitioner states that either (A) that the information contains trade secret material, proprietary material and/or material that is subject to a protective order which has not been made public; or (B) that the information submitted was unintentionally submitted and the failure to obtain its return would cause irreparable harm to the party who submitted the information or to the party in interest on whose behalf the information was submitted, and the information has not otherwise been made public. The petition fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(g) has been paid.
The information in question has been determined by the undersigned to not be material to the examination of the instant application.
Applicant is required to retain the expunged material(s) for the life of any patent which issues on the above-identified application.
The expunged material has been removed from the official file.
1. A Technology Center Director decides this petition only if the information was submitted either pursuant to MPEP § 724.02 or in an information disclosure statement. Furthermore, a petition to expunge may not be granted unless the application has been allowed or is abandoned, or an Ex Parte Quayle action has been mailed.
4. In brackets 6 and 8, clearly identify the expunged document. For example, refer to the author and title of the document.
Petitioner requests that a document entitled , filed , be expunged from the record.
"Materiality" is defined as any information which the examiner considers as being important to a determination of patentability of the claims.
1. A Technology Center Director decides this petition only if the information was submitted either pursuant to MPEP § 724.02 or in an information disclosure statement. However, the petition should not be granted until the application has been allowed or abandoned, or an Ex parte Quayle action has been mailed.
5. This form paragraph must be followed with one or more of form paragraphs 7.207 through 7.213.
the petition was not accompanied by the required fee under 37 CFR1.17(g).
the information that petitioner requests to expunge is considered to be material to the determination of patentability because .
In bracket 1, provide an explanation of basis for conclusion that information is material to the determination of patentability.
In bracket 1, provide explanation of basis for conclusion that information has been made public.
the petition does not contain a commitment on the part of petitioner to retain the information to be expunged for the period of any patent with regard to which such information is submitted.
In bracket 1, indicate whether any such statement was provided and, if so, explain why such statement is not clear.
In bracket 1, explain why the identification of the information requested to be expunged is not clear.
the petition does not contain a statement that the petition is being submitted by, or on behalf of, the party in interest who originally submitted the information.

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