Source: https://www.bitlaw.com/source/mpep/821_04.html
Timestamp: 2019-01-21 03:15:31
Document Index: 648881188

Matched Legal Cases: ['§821', '§821', '§ 706', '§ 706', '§ 804', '§ 804']

MPEP 821.04: Rejoinder, Jan. 2018 (BitLaw)
Previous: §821.03 | Next: §821.04(a)
The provisions of MPEP § 706.07 govern the propriety of making an Office action final in rejoinder situations. If rejoinder occurs after the first Office action on the merits, and if any of the rejoined claims are unpatentable, e.g., if a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112, first paragraph is made, then the next Office action may be made final where the new ground of rejection was necessitated by applicant’s amendment (or based on information submitted in an IDS filed during the time period set forth in 37 CFR 1.97(c) with the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(p) ). See MPEP § 706.07(a).
Where applicant voluntarily presents claims to the product and process, for example, in separate applications (i.e., no restriction requirement was made by the Office), and one of the applications issues as a patent, the remaining application may be rejected under the doctrine of obviousness-type double patenting, where appropriate (see MPEP § 804 - § 804.03), and applicant may overcome the rejection by the filing of a terminal disclaimer under 37 CFR 1.321(c) where appropriate. Similarly, if copending applications separately present product and process claims, provisional obviousness-type double patenting rejections should be made where appropriate. However, once a determination as to the patentability of the product has been reached any process claim directed to making or using an allowable product should not be rejected over prior art without consultation with a Technology Center Director.