What are conflicting claims in patent applications and why are they significant?

MPEP 303 mentions conflicting claims as a situation where assignment information becomes crucial:

“When the assignment condition of an application is significant, such as when applications of different inventors contain conflicting claims…” (MPEP 303)

Conflicting claims occur when two or more patent applications claim the same or overlapping subject matter. This is significant because:

• It may indicate potential ownership disputes
• It can affect the novelty or non-obviousness of the claimed inventions
• It might require the USPTO to initiate an interference or derivation proceeding

In such cases, examiners need to verify assignment information to determine the proper course of action.