What is the basis for rejecting claims that fail to set forth the subject matter the inventor regards as the invention?

Source: FAQ (MPEP-Based)BlueIron Update: 2024-09-30

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.

A rejection based on the failure of claims to set forth the subject matter that the inventor regards as the invention is appropriate only in specific circumstances. According to MPEP 2172, such a rejection is valid “only where an inventor has stated, somewhere other than in the application as filed, that the invention is something different from what is defined by the claims.”

This means that in the absence of evidence to the contrary, the invention set forth in the claims is presumed to be what the inventor or joint inventor regards as the invention. The MPEP cites the case of In re Moore to support this presumption.

Topics: MPEP 2100 - Patentability MPEP 2172 - Subject Matter Which The Inventor Or A Joint Inventor Regards As The Invention Patent Law Patent Procedure
Tags: Aia Practice, antecedent basis, Specification Optional Content