MPEP § 716.02(f) — Advantages Disclosed or Inherent (Annotated Rules)

§716.02(f) Advantages Disclosed or Inherent

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

This page consolidates and annotates all enforceable requirements under MPEP § 716.02(f), 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.

Advantages Disclosed or Inherent

This section addresses Advantages Disclosed or Inherent. Primary authority: 35 U.S.C. 103 and 37 CFR 103. Contains: 1 requirement, 1 prohibition, and 1 other statement.

Key Rules

Topic

Claims Directed To

1 rules
StatutoryProhibitedAlways
[mpep-716-02-f-b016c92257a189f9a88b1bfb]
Consider All Evidence When Determining Obviousness
Note:
When assessing whether an invention is obvious, all evidence and arguments must be considered, even if they are not disclosed in the specification.

The totality of the record must be considered when determining whether a claimed invention would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made. Therefore, evidence and arguments directed to advantages not disclosed in the specification cannot be disregarded. In re Chu, 66 F.3d 292, 298-99, 36 USPQ2d 1089, 1094-95 (Fed. Cir. 1995) (Although the purported advantage of placement of a selective catalytic reduction catalyst in the bag retainer of an apparatus for controlling emissions was not disclosed in the specification, evidence and arguments rebutting the conclusion that such placement was a matter of “design choice” should have been considered as part of the totality of the record. “We have found no cases supporting the position that a patent applicant’s evidence or arguments traversing a § 103 rejection must be contained within the specification. There is no logical support for such a proposition as well, given that obviousness is determined by the totality of the record including, in some instances most significantly, the evidence and arguments proffered during the give-and-take of ex parte patent prosecution.” 66 F.3d at 299, 36 USPQ2d at 1095.). See also In re Zenitz, 333 F.2d 924, 928, 142 USPQ 158, 161 (CCPA 1964) (evidence that claimed compound minimized side effects of hypotensive activity must be considered because this undisclosed property would inherently flow from disclosed use as tranquilizer); Ex parte Sasajima, 212 USPQ 103, 104 – 05 (Bd. App. 1981) (evidence relating to initially undisclosed relative toxicity of claimed pharmaceutical compound must be considered).

Jump to MPEP Source · 37 CFR 103Claims Directed ToClaim Subject Matter
Topic

Obviousness

1 rules
StatutoryInformativeAlways
[mpep-716-02-f-299773a54723c0982e044191]
Evidence from Ex Parte Patent Prosecution Considered in Obviousness Determination
Note:
The totality of the record, including evidence and arguments from ex parte patent prosecution, must be considered when determining obviousness.

The totality of the record must be considered when determining whether a claimed invention would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made. Therefore, evidence and arguments directed to advantages not disclosed in the specification cannot be disregarded. In re Chu, 66 F.3d 292, 298-99, 36 USPQ2d 1089, 1094-95 (Fed. Cir. 1995) (Although the purported advantage of placement of a selective catalytic reduction catalyst in the bag retainer of an apparatus for controlling emissions was not disclosed in the specification, evidence and arguments rebutting the conclusion that such placement was a matter of “design choice” should have been considered as part of the totality of the record. “We have found no cases supporting the position that a patent applicant’s evidence or arguments traversing a § 103 rejection must be contained within the specification. There is no logical support for such a proposition as well, given that obviousness is determined by the totality of the record including, in some instances most significantly, the evidence and arguments proffered during the give-and-take of ex parte patent prosecution.” 66 F.3d at 299, 36 USPQ2d at 1095.). See also In re Zenitz, 333 F.2d 924, 928, 142 USPQ 158, 161 (CCPA 1964) (evidence that claimed compound minimized side effects of hypotensive activity must be considered because this undisclosed property would inherently flow from disclosed use as tranquilizer); Ex parte Sasajima, 212 USPQ 103, 104 – 05 (Bd. App. 1981) (evidence relating to initially undisclosed relative toxicity of claimed pharmaceutical compound must be considered).

Jump to MPEP Source · 37 CFR 103ObviousnessClaims Directed ToClaim Subject Matter
Topic

Composition of Matter Claims

1 rules
StatutoryRequiredAlways
[mpep-716-02-f-d5bcb08be06a9b1040a73cd4]
Evidence of Un disclosed Advantages Must Be Considered in Obviousness Determination
Note:
The totality of the record must include evidence and arguments about advantages not disclosed in the specification when determining obviousness.

The totality of the record must be considered when determining whether a claimed invention would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made. Therefore, evidence and arguments directed to advantages not disclosed in the specification cannot be disregarded. In re Chu, 66 F.3d 292, 298-99, 36 USPQ2d 1089, 1094-95 (Fed. Cir. 1995) (Although the purported advantage of placement of a selective catalytic reduction catalyst in the bag retainer of an apparatus for controlling emissions was not disclosed in the specification, evidence and arguments rebutting the conclusion that such placement was a matter of “design choice” should have been considered as part of the totality of the record. “We have found no cases supporting the position that a patent applicant’s evidence or arguments traversing a § 103 rejection must be contained within the specification. There is no logical support for such a proposition as well, given that obviousness is determined by the totality of the record including, in some instances most significantly, the evidence and arguments proffered during the give-and-take of ex parte patent prosecution.” 66 F.3d at 299, 36 USPQ2d at 1095.). See also In re Zenitz, 333 F.2d 924, 928, 142 USPQ 158, 161 (CCPA 1964) (evidence that claimed compound minimized side effects of hypotensive activity must be considered because this undisclosed property would inherently flow from disclosed use as tranquilizer); Ex parte Sasajima, 212 USPQ 103, 104 – 05 (Bd. App. 1981) (evidence relating to initially undisclosed relative toxicity of claimed pharmaceutical compound must be considered).

Jump to MPEP Source · 37 CFR 103Composition of Matter ClaimsClaims Directed To
Topic

Patent Application Content

1 rules
StatutoryInformativeAlways
[mpep-716-02-f-6993bde8a918f1d1feda9de1]
Specification Need Not Disclose Critical Proportions Without Evidence
Note:
Applicants are not required to disclose specific proportions or values as critical in the specification unless they provide evidence showing these proportions or values are critical.

The specification need not disclose proportions or values as critical for applicants to present evidence showing the proportions or values to be critical. In re Saunders, 444 F.2d 599, 607, 170 USPQ 213, 220 (CCPA 1971).

Jump to MPEP SourcePatent Application Content

Citations

Primary topicCitation
Claims Directed To
Composition of Matter Claims
Obviousness
35 U.S.C. § 103
Patent Application ContentIn re Saunders, 444 F.2d 599, 607, 170 USPQ 213, 220 (CCPA 1971)
Claims Directed To
Composition of Matter Claims
Obviousness
In re Zenitz, 333 F.2d 924, 928, 142 USPQ 158, 161 (CCPA 1964)

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