Source: https://www.bitlaw.com/source/mpep/2146.html
Timestamp: 2018-05-23 20:50:39
Document Index: 390678631

Matched Legal Cases: ['§2145', '§2147', '§ 2159', '§ 2156', '§ 2150', '§ 706', '§ 804', '§ 706', '§ 706']

MPEP 2146: Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(c), Jan. 2018 (BitLaw)
MPEP 2146
Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(c)
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2146 Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(c) [R-11.2013]
[Editor Note: This MPEP section has limited applicability to applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file (FITF) provisions of the AIA as set forth in 35 U.S.C. 100 (note). See MPEP § 2159 et seq. to determine whether an application is subject to examination under the FITF provisions, MPEP § 2156 for joint research agreement prior art disqualification for application subject to those provisions, and MPEP § 2150 et seq. for examination of applications subject to those provisions.]
Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 Conditions of patentability; non-obvious subject matter.
These changes to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(c) apply to all patents (including reissue patents) granted on or after December 10, 2004 that are subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102. The amendment to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(c) made by the AIPA to change "subsection (f) or (g)" to "one of more of subsections (e), (f), or (g)" applies to applications filed on or after November 29, 1999. It is to be noted that, for all applications (including reissue applications), if the application is pending on or after December 10, 2004, the 2004 changes to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(c), which effectively include the 1999 changes, apply; thus, the November 29, 1999 date of the prior revision to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(c) is no longer relevant. In a reexamination proceeding, however, one must look at whether or not the patent being reexamined was granted on or after December 10, 2004 to determine whether pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(c), as amended by the CREATE Act, applies. For a reexamination proceeding of a patent granted prior to December 10, 2004 on an application filed on or after November 29, 1999, it is the 1999 changes to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(c) that are applicable to the disqualifying commonly assigned/owned prior art provisions of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(c). See MPEP § 706.02(l)(1) for additional information regarding disqualified prior art under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(e) /103. For a reexamination proceeding of a patent granted prior to December 10, 2004 on an application filed prior to November 29, 1999, neither the 1999 nor the 2004 changes to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(c) are applicable. Therefore, only prior art under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(f) or (g) used in a rejection under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) may be disqualified under the commonly assigned/owned prior art provision pre-AIA of 35 U.S.C. 103(c).
Pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(c), as amended by the CREATE Act, applies only to subject matter which qualifies as prior art under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(e), (f), or (g), and which is being relied upon in a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103. If the rejection is anticipation under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(e), (f), or (g), pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(c) cannot be relied upon to disqualify the subject matter in order to overcome or prevent the anticipation rejection. Likewise, pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(c) cannot be relied upon to overcome or prevent a double patenting rejection. See 37 CFR 1.78(c) and MPEP § 804. See also MPEP § 706.02(l) - § 706.02(l)(3).