What is the purpose of compact prosecution in patent examination?

Compact prosecution is a principle in patent examination that aims to ensure a prompt yet complete examination of patent applications. According to the MPEP, Under the principles of compact prosecution, each claim should be reviewed for compliance with every statutory requirement for patentability in the initial review of the application, even if one or more claims are found to be deficient with respect to some statutory requirement.

The main purposes of compact prosecution are:

• To provide a thorough and efficient examination process
• To identify all potential issues in the first Office action
• To reduce unnecessary delays in the prosecution of the application

Examiners are expected to state all reasons and bases for rejecting claims in the first Office action, clearly explain deficiencies, and whenever practicable, indicate how rejections may be overcome and how problems may be resolved.

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• compact prosecution
• patent examination
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• patent application