What is piecemeal examination in patent law?

Piecemeal examination refers to the practice of examining a patent application in a fragmented or incomplete manner. According to MPEP 707.07(g), “Piecemeal examination should be avoided as much as possible.” This means that patent examiners should strive to provide a comprehensive examination of each claim, addressing all valid grounds for rejection in a single office action, rather than addressing issues one at a time across multiple office actions.

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• MPEP
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