MPEP § 2311 — Consult a Technology Center Practice Specialist (Annotated Rules)

§2311 Consult a Technology Center Practice Specialist

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

This page consolidates and annotates all enforceable requirements under MPEP § 2311, 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.

Consult a Technology Center Practice Specialist

This section addresses Consult a Technology Center Practice Specialist. Primary authority: 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2). Contains: 2 guidance statements and 1 other statement.

Key Rules

Topic

PTAB Jurisdiction

3 rules
StatutoryInformativeAlways
[mpep-2311-e125a9fa9323f6b85d22cedd]
Derivation Notice for Respondent’s Application or Patent
Note:
If an appropriate derivation petition is received by the Board, a notice will be entered into the respondent’s application or patent file if it has issued.

Where an appropriate petition for derivation has been received by the Board, the Board will enter a notice into the respondent’s application or patent file, if it has issued. When the examiner has determined that either the petitioner’s or the respondent’s application (where applicable) has allowable subject matter with respect to any claim, the examiner should refrain from taking any further action until consulting with the Technology Center Practice Specialist (TCPS). The claims in petitioner’s application that are patentably indistinct from respondent’s application or patent should be subject to a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) which should be maintained until jurisdiction is transferred to the Board to conduct the derivation proceeding.

Jump to MPEP SourcePTAB JurisdictionPTAB Contested Case ProceduresEx Parte Appeals to PTAB
StatutoryRecommendedAlways
[mpep-2311-938063270f7ec2bf697f1477]
Examiner Must Consult TCPS on Allowable Subject Matter
Note:
The examiner must consult the Technology Center Practice Specialist before taking any further action when either the petitioner’s or respondent’s application has allowable subject matter with respect to any claim.

Where an appropriate petition for derivation has been received by the Board, the Board will enter a notice into the respondent’s application or patent file, if it has issued. When the examiner has determined that either the petitioner’s or the respondent’s application (where applicable) has allowable subject matter with respect to any claim, the examiner should refrain from taking any further action until consulting with the Technology Center Practice Specialist (TCPS). The claims in petitioner’s application that are patentably indistinct from respondent’s application or patent should be subject to a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) which should be maintained until jurisdiction is transferred to the Board to conduct the derivation proceeding.

Jump to MPEP SourcePTAB JurisdictionPTAB Contested Case ProceduresEx Parte Appeals to PTAB
StatutoryRecommendedAlways
[mpep-2311-b7dc5827020e7276399b912f]
Petitioner Claims Must Be Rejected Until Derivation Hearing
Note:
Petitioner’s claims that are patentably indistinct from respondent’s application or patent must be rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) until jurisdiction is transferred to the Board for a derivation proceeding.

Where an appropriate petition for derivation has been received by the Board, the Board will enter a notice into the respondent’s application or patent file, if it has issued. When the examiner has determined that either the petitioner’s or the respondent’s application (where applicable) has allowable subject matter with respect to any claim, the examiner should refrain from taking any further action until consulting with the Technology Center Practice Specialist (TCPS). The claims in petitioner’s application that are patentably indistinct from respondent’s application or patent should be subject to a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) which should be maintained until jurisdiction is transferred to the Board to conduct the derivation proceeding.

Jump to MPEP SourcePTAB JurisdictionPTAB Contested Case ProceduresEx Parte Appeals to PTAB

Citations

Primary topicCitation
PTAB Jurisdiction35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(2)

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