MPEP § 1920 — MPEP § 1920
Current through: 2022-07-01

1920-Citation of Prior Art Under 37 CFR 1.501(a) 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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 Manual of Patent Examining Procedure 

 Chapter 1900 

 Section 1920 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 1920 Citation of Prior Art Under 37 CFR 1.501(a) [R-10.2019]

 37 CFR
 1.501(a) permits any person at any time during the period of
 enforceability of a patent to file a written submission directed to prior art consisting of
 patent and printed publications which that person states to be pertinent and applicable to
 the patent and believes to have a bearing on the patentability of any claim(s) of the
 patent or statements of the patent owner filed by the patent owner in a proceeding before a
 federal court or the Office in which the patent owner took a position on the scope of any
 claim of the patent. See MPEP § 2202 - § 2208 .
 

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 1901-Protest Under 37 CFR 1.291 
 1901.01-Who Can Protest 

 1901.02-Information Which Can Be Relied on in Protest 

 1901.03-How Protest Is Submitted 

 1901.04-When Can the Protest Be Submitted 

 1901.05-Acknowledgment of Protest 

 1901.06-Office Treatment of Protest 

 1901.07-Protestor Participation 
 1901.07(a)-Filing of Multiple Papers Relating to Same Issues 

 
 

 
 

 1902‑1905-[Reserved] 

 1906-Supervisory Review of an Examiner’s Decision Adverse to Protestor 

 1907-Unauthorized Participation by Protestor 

 1908‑1919-[Reserved] 

 1920-Citation of Prior Art Under 37 CFR 1.501(a) 

 

 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 

 
 
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 03/09/2026 20:49:30