37 CFR § 1.476 — Determination of unity of invention before the (MPEP Coverage Index) – BlueIron IP
37 CFR § 1.476 Determination of unity of invention before the
Source: Patent Rule (37 CFR)BlueIron Update:
This page consolidates MPEP guidance interpreting 37 CFR § 1.476, including 2 rules 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.
Official MPEP § 1.476 — Determination of unity of invention before the
Source: USPTOLast Modified: 10/30/2024 08:50:22
1.476 Determination of unity of invention before the International Searching Authority.
- (a) Before establishing the international search report, the International Searching Authority will determine whether the international application complies with the requirement of unity of invention as set forth in § 1.475 .
- (b) If the International Searching Authority considers that the international application does not comply with the requirement of unity of invention, it shall inform the applicant accordingly and invite the payment of additional fees (note § 1.445 and PCT Art. 17(3)(a) and PCT Rule 40 ). The applicant will be given a time period in accordance with PCT Rule 40.3 to pay the additional fees due.
- (c) In the case of non-compliance with unity of invention and where no additional fees are paid, the international search will be performed on the invention first mentioned (“main invention”) in the claims.
- (d) Lack of unity of invention may be directly evident before considering the claims in relation to any prior art, or after taking the prior art into consideration, as where a document discovered during the search shows the invention claimed in a generic or linking claim lacks novelty or is clearly obvious, leaving two or more claims joined thereby without a common inventive concept. In such a case the International Searching Authority may raise the objection of lack of unity of invention.
[43 FR 20458, May 11, 1978; redesignated and amended at 52 FR 20047, May 28, 1987; para. (a) amended, 58 FR 4335, Jan. 14, 1993, effective May 1, 1993]