MPEP § 1211.02 — Remand To Consider Amendment (Annotated Rules)

§1211.02 Remand To Consider Amendment

USPTO MPEP version: BlueIron's Update: 2025-12-31

This page consolidates and annotates all enforceable requirements under MPEP § 1211.02, including statutory authority, regulatory rules, examiner guidance, and practice notes. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only, it is not legal advice.

Remand To Consider Amendment

This section addresses Remand To Consider Amendment. Contains: 1 permission and 1 other statement.

Key Rules

Topic

PTAB Jurisdiction

2 rules
MPEP GuidanceInformativeAlways
[mpep-1211-02-86f124548d63e98d2ce4a9e0]
Amendment of Claims After Brief Filing
Note:
The Board is not obligated to consider new or amended claims submitted after the brief filing date, but may remand for examiner consideration if claims are canceled without affecting other pending claims or rewritten into independent form.

There is no obligation resting on the Board to consider new or amended claims submitted while it has jurisdiction of the appeal. In re Sweet, 136 F.2d 722, 58 USPQ 327 (CCPA 1943). However, a proposed amendment filed after the date of filing of a brief to either cancel claims, where such cancellation does not affect the scope of any other pending claim in the proceeding, or to rewrite dependent claims into independent form may be remanded for consideration by the examiner. See MPEP § 1206.

Jump to MPEP SourcePTAB JurisdictionPTAB Contested Case ProceduresAppeal Brief Requirements
MPEP GuidancePermittedAlways
[mpep-1211-02-54f90093ab7d0f96ab95b99b]
Amendment for Cancellation or Rewriting May Be Remanded to Examiner
Note:
An amendment to cancel claims or rewrite dependent claims as independent may be sent back to the examiner for consideration.

There is no obligation resting on the Board to consider new or amended claims submitted while it has jurisdiction of the appeal. In re Sweet, 136 F.2d 722, 58 USPQ 327 (CCPA 1943). However, a proposed amendment filed after the date of filing of a brief to either cancel claims, where such cancellation does not affect the scope of any other pending claim in the proceeding, or to rewrite dependent claims into independent form may be remanded for consideration by the examiner. See MPEP § 1206.

Jump to MPEP SourcePTAB JurisdictionPTAB Contested Case ProceduresAppeal Brief Requirements

Citations

Primary topicCitation
PTAB JurisdictionMPEP § 1206
PTAB JurisdictionIn re Sweet, 136 F.2d 722, 58 USPQ 327 (CCPA 1943)

Source Text from USPTO’s MPEP

This is an exact copy of the MPEP from the USPTO. It is here for your reference to see the section in context.

BlueIron Last Updated: 2025-12-31