Source: http://www.ftaa-alca.org/intprop/natleg/Usa/plrt37K.asp
Timestamp: 2017-10-21 05:00:27
Document Index: 421776294

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37 C.F.R. § 1.183 Suspension of rules.
In an extraordinary situation, when justice requires, any requirement of the regulations in this part which is not a requirement of the statutes may be suspended or waived by the Commissioner or the Commissioner's designee, sua sponte, or on petition of the interested party, subject to such other requirements as may be imposed. Any petition under this section must be accompanied by the petition fee set forth in § 1.17(h).
[47 FR 41278, Sept. 17, 1982]
37 C.F.R. § 1.184 [This section was removed and reserved.]
[24 FR 10332, Dec. 22, 1959, as amended at 54 FR 34880, Aug. 22, 1989; 55 FR 18245, May 1, 1990; 62 FR 53132, 53196, Oct. 10, 1997]
37 C.F.R. § 1.191 Appeal to Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences.
(a) Every applicant for a patent or for reissue of a patent, and every owner of a patent under reexamination, any of whose claims has been twice or finally (§ 1.113) rejected, may appeal from the decision of the examiner to the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences by filing a notice of appeal and the fee set forth in § 1.17(b) within the time period provided under §§ 1.134 and 1.136 for reply.
(b) The signature requirement of § 1.33 does not apply to a notice of appeal filed under this section.
(c) An appeal when taken must be taken from the rejection of all claims under rejection which the applicant or patent owner proposes to contest. Questions relating to matters not affecting the merits of the invention may be required to be settled before an appeal can be considered.
(d) The time periods set forth in §§ 1.191 and 1.192 are subject to the provisions of § 1.136 for patent applications and § 1.550(c) for reexamination proceedings. The time periods set forth in §§ 1.193, 1.194, 1.196 and 1.197 are subject to the provisions of § 1.136(b) for patent applications or § 1.550(c) for reexamination proceedings. See § 1.304(a) for extensions of time for filing a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit or for commencing a civil action.
(e) Jurisdiction over the application or patent under reexamination passes to the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences upon transmittal of the file, including all briefs and examiner's answers, to the Board. Prior to the entry of a decision on the appeal, the Commissioner may sua sponte order the application remanded to the examiner.
[46 FR 29183, May 29, 1981, as amended at 49 FR 555, Jan. 4, 1984; 49 FR 48453, Dec. 12, 1984; 54 FR 29552, July 13, 1989; 58 FR 54510, Oct. 22, 1993, as corrected at 58 FR 64155, Dec. 6, 1993; 62 FR 53132, 53196, Oct. 10, 1997]
37 C.F.R. § 1.192 Appellant's brief.
(a) Appellant must, within two months from the date of the notice of appeal under § 1.191 or within the time allowed for reply to the action from which the appeal was taken, if such time is later, file a brief in triplicate. The brief must be accompanied by the fee set forth in § 1.17(c) and must set forth the authorities and arguments on which appellant will rely to maintain the appeal. Any arguments or authorities not included in the brief will be refused consideration by the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences, unless good cause is shown.
(b) On failure to file the brief, accompanied by the requisite fee, within the time allowed, the appeal shall stand dismissed.
(c) The brief shall contain the following items under appropriate headings and in the order indicated below unless the brief is filed by an applicant who is not represented by a registered practitioner:
(1) Real party in interest. A statement identifying the real party in interest, if the party named in the caption of the brief is not the real party in interest.
(2) Related appeals and interferences. A Statement identifying by number and filing date all other appeals or interferences known to appellant, the appellant's legal representative, or assignee which will directly affect or be directly affected by or have a bearing on the Board's decision in the pending appeal.
(3) Status of claims. A statement of the status of all the claims, pending or cancelled, and identifying the claims appealed.
(4) Status of amendments. A statement of the status of any amendment filed subsequent to final rejection.
(5) Summary of invention. A concise explanation of the invention defined in the claims involved in the appeal, which shall refer to the specification by page and line number, and to the drawing, if any, by reference characters.
(6) Issues. A concise statement of the issues presented for review.
(7) Grouping of claims. For each ground of rejection which appellant contests and which applies to a group of two or more claims, the Board shall select a single claim from the group and shall decide the appeal as to the ground of rejection on the basis of that claim alone unless a statement is included that the claims of the group do not stand or fall together and, in the argument under paragraph (c)(8) of this section, appellant explains why the claims of the group are believed to be separately patentable. Merely pointing out differences in what the claims cover is not an argument as to why the claims are separately patentable.
(8) Argument. The contentions of appellant with respect to each of the issues presented for review in paragraph (c)(6) of this section, and the basis therefor, with citations of the authorities, statutes, and parts of the record relied on. Each issue should be treated under a separate heading.
(i) For each rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112, first paragraph, the argument shall specify the errors in the rejection and how the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112 is complied with, including, as appropriate, how the specification and drawings, if any,
(A) Describe the subject matter defined by each of the rejected claims,
(B) Enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the subject matter defined by each of the rejected claims, and
(C) Set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his or her invention.
(ii) For each rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph, the argument shall specify the errors in the rejection and how the claims particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which applicant regards as the invention.
(iii) For each rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102, the argument shall specify the errors in the rejection and why the rejected claims are patentable under 35 U.S.C. 102, including any specific limitations in the rejected claims which are not described in the prior art relied upon in the rejection.
(iv) For each rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103, the argument shall specify the errors in the rejection and, if appropriate, the specific limitations in the rejected claims which are not described in the prior art relied on in the rejection, and shall explain how such limitations render the claimed subject matter unobvious over the prior art. If the rejection is based upon a combination of references, the argument shall explain why the references, taken as a whole, do not suggest the claimed subject matter, and shall include, as may be appropriate, an explanation of why features disclosed in one reference may not properly be combined with features disclosed in another reference. A general argument that all the limitations are not described in a single reference does not satisfy the requirements of this paragraph.
(v) For any rejection other than those referred to in paragraphs (c)(8) (i) to (iv) of this section, the argument shall specify the errors in the rejection and the specific limitations in the rejected claims, if appropriate, or other reasons, which cause the rejection to be in error.
(9) Appendix. An appendix containing a copy of the claims involved in the appeal.
(d) If a brief is filed which does not comply with all the requirements of paragraph (c) of this section, appellant will be notified of the reasons for non-compliance and provided with a period of one month within which to file an amended brief. If appellant does not file an amended brief during the one-month period, or files an amended brief which does not overcome all the reasons for non-compliance stated in the notification, the appeal will stand dismissed.
[36 FR 5850, Mar. 30, 1971, as amended at 53 FR 23734, June 23, 1988; 58 FR 54510, Oct. 22, 1993, as corrected at 58 FR 64155, Dec. 6, 1993; 60 FR 14518, Mar. 17, 1995; 62 FR 53132, 53196, Oct. 10, 1997]
37 C.F.R. § 1.193 Examiner's answer and reply brief.
(1) The primary examiner may, within such time as may be directed by the Commissioner, furnish a written statement in answer to appellant's brief including such explanation of the invention claimed and of the references and grounds of rejection as may be necessary, supplying a copy to appellant. If the primary examiner finds that the appeal is not regular in form or does not relate to an appealable action, the primary examiner shall so state.
(2) An examiner's answer must not include a new ground of rejection, but if an amendment under § 1.116 proposes to add or amend one or more claims and appellant was advised that the amendment under § 1.116 would be entered for purposes of appeal and which individual rejection(s) set forth in the action from which the appeal was taken would be used to reject the added or amended claim(s), then the appeal brief must address the rejection(s) of the claim(s) added or amended by the amendment under § 1.116 as appellant was so advised and the examiner's answer may include the rejection(s) of the claim(s) added or amended by the amendment under § 1.116 as appellant was so advised. The filing of an amendment under § 1.116 which is entered for purposes of appeal represents appellant's consent that when so advised any appeal proceed on those claim(s) added or amended by the amendment under § 1.116 subject to any rejection set forth in the action from which the appeal was taken.
(1) Appellant may file a reply brief to an examiner's answer within two months from the date of
such examiner's answer. See § 1.136(b) for extensions of time for filing a reply brief in a patent application and § 1.550(c) for extensions of time for filing a reply brief in a reexamination proceeding. The primary examiner must either acknowledge receipt and entry of the reply brief or withdraw the final rejection and reopen prosecution to respond to the reply brief. A supplemental examiner's answer is not permitted, unless the application has been remanded by the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences for such purpose.
(2) Where prosecution is reopened by the primary examiner after an appeal or reply brief has been filed, appellant must exercise one of the following two options to avoid abandonment of the application:
(i) File a reply under § 1.111, if the Office action is not final, or a reply under § 1.113, if the Office action is final; or
(ii) Request reinstatement of the appeal. If reinstatement of the appeal is requested, such request must be accompanied by a supplemental appeal brief, but no new amendments, affidavits (§§ 1.130, 1.131 or 1.132) or other evidence are permitted.
[24 FR 10332, Dec. 22, 1959, as amended at 47 FR 21752, May 19, 1982; 53 FR 23735, June 23, 1988; 57 FR 2035, Jan. 17, 1992; 58 FR 54510, Oct. 22, 1993, as corrected at 58 FR 64155, Dec. 6, 1993; 62 FR 53132, 53197, Oct. 10, 1997]
37 C.F.R. § 1.194 Oral hearing.
(a) An oral hearing should be requested only in those circumstances in which appellant considers such a hearing necessary or desirable for a proper presentation of the appeal. An appeal decided without an oral hearing will receive the same consideration by the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences as appeals decided after oral hearing.
(b) If appellant desires an oral hearing, appellant must file, in a separate paper, a written request for such hearing accompanied by the fee set forth in § 1.17(d) within two months from the date of the examiner's answer. If appellant requests an oral hearing and submits therewith the fee set forth in § 1.17(d), an oral argument may be presented by, or on behalf of, the primary examiner if considered desirable by either the primary examiner or the Board. See § 1.136(b) for extensions of time for requesting an oral hearing in a patent application and § 1.550(c) for extensions of time for requesting an oral hearing in a reexamination proceeding.
(c) If no request and fee for oral hearing have been timely filed by appellant, the appeal will be assigned for consideration and decision. If appellant has requested an oral hearing and has submitted the fee set forth in § 1.17(d), a day of hearing will be set, and due notice thereof given to appellant and to the primary examiner. A hearing will be held as stated in the notice, and oral argument will be limited to twenty minutes for appellant and fifteen minutes for the primary examiner unless otherwise ordered before the hearing begins. If the Board decides that a hearing is not necessary, the Board will so notify appellant.
[42 FR 5595, Jan. 28, 1977, as amended at 47 FR 41278, Sept. 17, 1982; 49 FR 48453, Dec. 12, 1984; 53 FR 23735, June 23, 1988; 58 FR 54510, Oct. 22, 1993, as corrected at 58 FR 64155, Dec. 6, 1993; 62 FR 53132, 53197, Oct. 10, 1997]
37 C.F.R. § 1.195 Affidavits or declarations after appeal.
Affidavits, declarations, or exhibits submitted after the case has been appealed will not be admitted without a showing of good and sufficient reasons why they were not earlier presented.
[34 FR 18858, Nov. 26, 1969]
37 C.F.R. § 1.196 Decision by the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences.
(a) The Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences, in its decision, may affirm or reverse the decision of the examiner in whole or in part on the grounds and on the claims specified by the examiner or remand the application to the examiner for further consideration. The affirmance of the rejection of a claim on any of the grounds specified constitutes a general affirmance of the decision of the examiner on that claim, except as to any ground specifically reversed.
(b) Should the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences have knowledge of any grounds not involved in the appeal for rejecting any pending claim, it may include in the decision a statement to that effect with its reasons for so holding, which statement constitutes a new ground of rejection of the claim. A new ground of rejection shall not be considered final for purposes of judicial review. When the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences makes a new ground of rejection, the appellant, within two months from the date of the decision, must exercise one of the following two options with respect to the new ground of rejection to avoid termination of proceedings (§ 1.197(c)) as to the rejected claims:
(1) Submit an appropriate amendment of the claims so rejected or a showing of facts relating to the claims so rejected, or both, and have the matter reconsidered by the examiner, in which event the application will be remanded to the examiner. The new ground of rejection is binding upon the examiner unless an amendment or showing of facts not previously of record be made which, in the opinion of the examiner, overcomes the new ground of rejection stated in the decision. Should the examiner reject the claims, appellant may again appeal pursuant to §§ 1.191 through 1.195 to the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences.
(2) Request that the application be reheard under § 1.197(b) by the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences upon the same record. The request for rehearing must address the new ground of rejection and state with particularity the points believed to have been misapprehended or overlooked in rendering the decision and also state all other grounds upon which rehearing is sought. Where request for such rehearing is made, the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences shall rehear the new ground of rejection and, if necessary, render a new decision which shall include all grounds of rejection upon which a patent is refused. The decision on rehearing is deemed to incorporate the earlier decision for purposes of appeal, except for those portions specifically withdrawn on rehearing, and is final for the purpose of judicial review, except when noted otherwise in the decision.
(c) Should the decision of the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences include an explicit statement that a claim may be allowed in amended form, appellant shall have the right to amend in conformity with such statement which shall be binding on the examiner in the absence of new references or grounds of rejection.
(d) The Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences may require appellant to address any matter that is deemed appropriate for a reasoned decision on the pending appeal. Appellant will be given a non-extendable time period within which to respond to such a requirement.
(e) Whenever a decision of the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences includes or allows a remand, that decision shall not be considered a final decision. When appropriate, upon conclusion of proceedings on remand before the examiner, the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences may enter an order otherwise making its decision final.
(f) See § 1.136(b) for extensions of time to take action under this section in a patent application and § 1.550(c) for extensions of time in a reexamination proceeding.
[49 FR 48453, Dec. 12, 1984, as amended at 54 FR 29552, July 13, 1989; 58 FR 54510, Oct. 22, 1993, as corrected at 58 FR 64155, Dec. 6, 1993; 62 FR 53132, 53197, Oct. 10, 1997]
37 C.F.R. § 1.197 Action following decision.
(a) After decision by the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences, the application will be returned to the examiner, subject to appellant's right of appeal or other review, for such further action by appellant or by the examiner, as the condition of the application may require, to carry into effect the decision.
(b) Appellant may file a single request for rehearing within two months from the date of the original decision, unless the original decision is so modified by the decision on rehearing as to become, in effect, a new decision, and the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences so states. The request for rehearing must state with particularity the points believed to have been misapprehended or overlooked in rendering the decision and also state all other grounds upon which rehearing is sought. See § 1.136(b) for extensions of time for seeking rehearing in a patent application and § 1.550(c) for extensions of time for seeking rehearing in a reexamination proceeding.
(c) Termination of proceedings. Proceedings are considered terminated by the dismissal of an appeal or the failure to timely file an appeal to the court or a civil action (§ 1.304) except:
(1) Where claims stand allowed in an application or
(2) where the nature of the decision requires further action by the examiner.
The date of termination of proceedings is the date on which the appeal is dismissed or the date on which the time for appeal to the court or review by civil action (§ 1.304) expires. If an appeal to the court or a civil action has been filed, proceedings are considered terminated when the appeal or civil action is terminated. An appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is terminated when the mandate is received by the Office. A civil action is terminated when the time to appeal the judgment expires.
[46 FR 29184, May 29, 1981, as amended at 49 FR 48453, Dec. 12, 1984; 54 FR 29552, July 13, 1989; 58 FR 54510, Oct, 22, 1993, as corrected at 58 FR 64155, Dec. 6, 1993; 62 FR 53132, 53198, Oct. 10, 1997]
37 C.F.R. § 1.198 Reopening after decision.
Cases which have been decided by the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences will not be reopened or reconsidered by the primary examiner except under the provisions of § 1.196 without the written authority of the Commissioner, and then only for the consideration of matters not already adjudicated, sufficient cause being shown.
[24 FR 10332, Dec. 22, 1959, as amended at 49 FR 48453, Dec. 12, 1984]
37 C.F.R. § 1.248 Service of papers; manner of service; proof of service in cases other than interferences.
(a) Service of papers must be on the attorney or agent of the party if there be such or on the party if there is no attorney or agent, and may be made in any of the following ways:
(2) By leaving a copy at the usual place of business of the person served with someone in his employment;
(3) When the person served has no usual place of business, by leaving a copy at the person's residence, with some person of suitable age and discretion who resides there;
(4) Transmission by first class mail. When service is by mail the date of mailing will be regarded as the date of service;
(5) Whenever it shall be satisfactorily shown to the Commissioner that none of the above modes of obtaining or serving the paper is practicable, service may be by notice published in the Official Gazette.
(b) Papers filed in the Patent and Trademark Office which are required to be served shall contain proof of service. Proof of service may appear on or be affixed to papers filed. Proof of service shall include the date and manner of service. In the case of personal service, proof of service shall also include the name of any person served, certified by the person who made service. Proof of service may be made by: (1) An acknowledgement of service by or on behalf of the person served or (2) a statement signed by the attorney or agent containing the information required by this section.
(c) See § 1.646 for service of papers in interferences.
[46 FR 29184, May 29, 1981, as amended at 49 FR 48454, Dec. 12, 1984]
37 C.F.R. § 1.291 Protests by the public against pending applications.
(a) Protests by a member of the public against pending applications will be referred to the examiner having charge of the subject matter involved. A protest specifically identifying the application to which the protest is directed will be entered in the application file if:
(1) The protest is submitted prior to the mailing of a notice of allowance under § 1.311; and
(2) The protest is either served upon the applicant in accordance with § 1.248, or filed with the Office in duplicate in the event service is not possible.
(b) Protests raising fraud or other inequitable conduct issues will be entered in the application file, generally without comment on those issues. Protests which do not adequately identify a pending patent application will be returned to the protestor and will not be further considered by the Office. A protest submitted in accordance with the second sentence of paragraph (a) of this section will be considered by the Office if the application is still pending when the protest and application file are brought before the examiner and it includes:
(2) A concise explanation of the relevance of each listed item;
(3) A copy of each listed patent or publication or other item of information in written form or at least the pertinent portions thereof; and
(4) An English language translation of all the necessary and pertinent parts of any non-English language patent, publication, or other item of information in written form relied upon.
(c) A member of the public filing a protest in an application under paragraph (a) of this section will not receive any communications from the Office relating to the protest, other than the return of a self-addressed postcard which the member of the public may include with the protest in order to receive an acknowledgment by the Office that the protest has been received. In the absence of a request by the Office, an applicant has no duty to, and need not, reply to a protest. The limited involvement of the member of the public filing a protest pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section ends with the filing of the protest, and no further submission on behalf of the protestor will be considered, except for additional prior art, or unless such submission raises new issues which could not have been earlier presented.
[47 FR 21752, May 19, 1982, as amended at 57 FR 2035, Jan. 17, 1992; 61 FR 42790, 42806, Aug. 19, 1996; 62 FR 53132, 53198, Oct. 10, 1997]
37 C.F.R. § 1.292 Public use proceedings.
(a) When a petition for the institution of public use proceedings, supported by affidavits or declarations is found, on reference to the examiner, to make a prima facie showing that the invention claimed in an application believed to be on file had been in public use or on sale more than one year before the filing of the application, a hearing may be had before the Commissioner to determine whether a public use proceeding should be instituted. If instituted, the Commissioner may designate an appropriate official to conduct the public use proceeding, including the setting of times for taking testimony, which shall be taken as provided by §§ 1.671 through 1.685. The petitioner will be heard in the proceedings but after decision therein will not be heard further in the prosecution of the application for patent.
(b) The petition and accompanying papers, or a notice that such a petition has been filed, shall be entered in the application file if:
(1) The petition is accompanied by the fee set forth in § 1.17(j);
(2) The petition is served on the applicant in accordance with § 1.248, or filed with the Office in duplicate in the event service is not possible; and
(3) The petition is submitted prior to the mailing of a notice of allowance under § 1.311.
(c) A petition for institution of public use proceedings shall not be filed by a party to an interference as to an application involved in the interference. Public use and on sale issues in an interference shall be raised by a preliminary motion under § 1.633(a).
[42 FR 5595, Jan. 28, 1977, as amended at 49 FR 48454, Dec. 12, 1984; 61 FR 42790, 42806, Aug. 19, 1996]
37 C.F.R. § 1.293 Statutory invention registration.
(a) An applicant for an original patent may request, at any time during the pendency of applicant's pending complete application, that the specification and drawings be published as a statutory invention registration. Any such request must be signed by (1) the applicant and any assignee of record or (2) an attorney or agent of record in the application.
(b) Any request for publication of a statutory invention registration must include the following parts:
(1) A waiver of the applicant's right to receive a patent on the invention claimed effective upon the date of publication of the statutory invention registration;
(2) The required fee for filing a request for publication of a statutory invention registration as provided for in § 1.17 (n) or (o);
(3) A statement that, in the opinion of the requester, the application to which the request is directed meets the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112; and
(4) A statement that, in the opinion of the requester, the application to which the request is directed complies with the formal requirements of this part for printing as a patent.
(c) A waiver filed with a request for a statutory invention registration will be effective, upon publication of the statutory invention registration, to waive the inventor's right to receive a patent on the invention claimed in the statutory invention registration, in any application for an original patent which is pending on, or filed after, the date of publication of the statutory invention registration. A waiver filed with a request for a statutory invention registration will not affect the rights of any other inventor even if the subject matter of the statutory invention registration and an application of another inventor are commonly owned. A waiver filed with a request for a statutory invention registration will not affect any rights in a patent to the inventor which issued prior to the date of publication of the statutory invention registration unless a reissue application is filed seeking to enlarge the scope of the claims of the patent. See also § 1.104(c)(5).
(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 0651-0018)
[50 FR 9382, Mar. 7, 1985; 62 FR 53132, 53198, Oct. 10, 1997]
Continuation: 37 C.F.R. § 1.294 Examination of request for publication of a statutory invention registration and patent application to which the request is directed.