Court Opinion

ID: 9473685
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 04:36:53.210309+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:43:41.073853
License: Public Domain

MILLER, Senior Circuit Judge, with whom SKELTON, Senior Circuit Judge, and KASHIWA, Circuit Judge,
join dissenting.
The third paragraph of 35 U.S.C. § 251 provides as follows:
The provisions of this title relating to applications for patent shall be applicable to applications for reissue of a patent, except that application for reissue may be made and sworn to by the assignee of the entire interest if the application does not seek to enlarge the scope of the claims of the original patent.
It is clear that the board correctly ruled that the involved application was enlarged, contrary to the examiner’s position that there was no patentable distinction between a “continuous” and an “intermittent” conveyor and that the language change was not the essence of the invention but merely set forth the best mode of carrying out the invention.1 In Ball Corp. v. United States, 729 F.2d 1429, 1438, 221 USPQ 289, 296 (Fed.Cir.1984), this court recognized the principle (previously stated by the CCPA) that “a claim is broadened if it is broader in any respect than the original claim” even though it may be narrowed in other respects.
Appellant argues that 35 U.S.C. § 251 does not apply, because the reissue application was filed “in the name of the true inventor.” However, as I read the application, it was filed in the name of “NATIONAL INSTRUMENT COMPANY, INC.” (the *530assignee of the original patent), and signed “by Sidney Rosen, President.”
Appellant says that the filing of said application was an error without deceptive intent, but I agree with the Solicitor that for an assignee to invoke the third paragraph of 35 U.S.C. § 251, while ignoring the basis for the exception (in the case of an application for reissue made by an assignee) set forth therein, and then to have the error excused, would render the provision regarding broadened claims a nullity. There is no evidence before this court rebutting the basic presumption that Congress shall not be deemed to have done a futile thing. Markham v. Cabell, 326 U.S. 404, 409, 66 S.Ct. 193, 195, 90 L.Ed. 165 (1945); Singer v. United States, 323 U.S. 338, 344, 65 S.Ct. 282, 285, 89 L.Ed. 285 (1945); Armstrong Co. v. Nu-Enamel Corp., 305 U.S. 315, 333, 59 S.Ct. 191, 200, 83 L.Ed. 195 (1938); Anniston Manufacturing Co. v. Davis, 301 U.S. 337, 351, 57 S.Ct. 816, 823, 81 L.Ed. 1143 (1937); United States v. O’Driscoll, 761 F.2d 589 (10th Cir.1985); N.J. Singer, Sutherland Stat. Const. § 45.12 (4th ed.1984). Nor is there any evidence that appellant’s error was “harmless.” A mere rote recital of “form over substance” does not fill the evidence void. Nor is there anything in any legislative history indicating Congressional intent to permit a waiver of the provision on broadened claims. In his 1954 “Commentary on the New Patent Act” (of 1952), Part III, P.J. Federico merely says: “A new provision has been added permitting the assignee of a patent to apply for a reissue provided the reissue does not seek to enlarge the claims of the original patent.”2
Appellant argues further that the PTO should be estopped from pursuing rejection of the reissue claims because it accepted the original reissue application and gave it a filing date and serial number; also, because it violated section 1442 of the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure which directs that reissue applications be taken up “special” and issues be treated immediately.3 Assuming that these points establish an equitable argument, the short answer is that the PTO cannot deliberately or inadvertently waive the clear requirements of the statute. Appellant cites A.F. Stoddard & Co. v. Dann, Commissioner, 564 F.2d 556, 195 USPQ 97 (D.C.Cir.1977), as precedent for “interstitial legislation” (the involved statute, 35 U.S.C. § 116, neither authorized nor prohibited the conversion of inventorship there in issue), arguing that 35 U.S.C. § 251 “does not clearly prohibit the submittal of a declaration by the inventor in a reissue application, originally filed by the assignee, if it is determined subsequently that a claim is of ‘broadened’ scope.” However, the third paragraph of section 251 clearly prohibits broadened claims, in a reissue application filed by an assignee.
Appellant contends that reissue statutes, being remedial, “should be construed liberally,” and (in effect) that a declaration filed by the inventor on January 26, 1981, more than two years after issuance of the original patent on February 14, 1978, should nunc pro tunc cure its reissue application. However, no amount of “liberalism” can justify disregard of the plain meaning of the statute. I do not regard In re Doll, 419 F.2d 925, 164 USPQ 218 *531(CCPA 1970), as precedent to the contrary since that case concerned a correctly filed reissue application and the subsequent addition of broadened claims. The court simply held that the language “applied for” in the fourth paragraph of 35 U.S.C. § 251 refers to filing of an application for reissue and did not prohibit the addition of broadened claims to the correctly filed application.
The decision of the PTO should be affirmed.

. Appellant's evidence underscores an intention to broaden the scope of the original patent's claims. For example, appellant-assignee’s Declaration of May 19, 1982, recites that limitations added by the examiner to the original patent were "unduly restrictive" and that "the original patent failed to cover the modified structure disclosed.” Inventor-Bennett's own Declaration filed January 26, 1981, recites that—
[Original patent claim 23 had been changed by Examiner’s Amendment to “a continuously running, in operation, conveyor belt” which language is believed awkward and which has been changed ... that the aforementioned limitation added to claim 23 in the Examiner’s Amendment dated October 20, 1977 is unduly restrictive ...; that claims 24-34 were added to correct the aforementioned deficiencies, claim 24 being broader than claim 23.
See In re Ruth, 278 F.2d 729, 126 USPQ 155 (CCPA 1960).

. Reference to 35 U.S.C. §§ 26, 116, and 256 as "remedial provisions” is not helpful. Section 26 was intended to eliminate a problem of the Patent and Trademark Office resulting from defective oaths, such as "failure to authenticate the notary's authority, and the omission or incompleteness of the date of execution.” H.R.Rep. No. 1181, 88th Cong., 2d Sess. 2, reprinted in 1964 U.S.Code Cong. & Ad.News 2123. Section 116 has to do with inventors — not assignees. Section 256 relates to issued patents. All provide only that the Commissioner "may" take remedial action. There is no evidence that appellant’s violation of section 251 was "of a minor character" or "harmless error.” It is not for this court to "correct” a statute "in the public interest." That is the province of Congress.

. Appellant complains of an "unexplained delay" by the PTO of fifteen months between filing of the reissue application and the first Office Action and asserts that if the PTO had acted promptly a substitute declaration could have been filed within the two-year period. However, appellant does not indicate that he or the assignee made any effort to expedite action.