How are checklists completed in a Reexamination of a 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.
In a Reexamination of a Reexamination, both the examiner and the CRU support staff complete checklists to ensure proper processing. MPEP 2295 states: “The examiner will complete a checklist, Form PTO-1516, and the CRU support staff will complete the reexamination clerk checklist Form PTO-1517.” When completing these checklists, it’s important to remember that “the ‘patent’ is the original patent as modified by the reexamination certificate.” This means that claims canceled by a prior reexamination certificate should be listed as previously canceled, and claims amended only by the prior certificate should not be listed as determined to be patentable as amended in the current reexamination.