What happens if all claims are disclaimed in a patent under reexamination?
This page is an FAQ based on guidance from the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only: it is not legal advice.
When all claims in a patent under reexamination are disclaimed, a special type of reexamination certificate is issued to reflect this fact.
According to MPEP 2287: “If all of the claims are disclaimed in a patent under reexamination, a certificate under 37 CFR 1.570 will be issued indicating that fact.”
This means that even if the patent owner chooses to disclaim all claims, effectively abandoning the patent rights, the reexamination process still concludes with the issuance of a certificate. This certificate serves as an official record of the outcome of the reexamination, indicating that no claims remain enforceable in the patent.