MPEP § 1454 — Appeal Brief (Annotated Rules)

§1454 Appeal Brief

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

This page consolidates and annotates all enforceable requirements under MPEP § 1454, 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.

Appeal Brief

This section addresses Appeal Brief. Primary authority: 37 CFR 41.37. Contains: 2 guidance statements and 2 other statements.

Key Rules

Topic

Reissue Patent Practice

2 rules
StatutoryInformativeAlways
[mpep-1454-ab37b3b5814c37a6971b24aa]
Appeal Brief Must Follow Specific Rules for Reissue Applications
Note:
An appeal brief for a reissue application must adhere to the same requirements as non-reissue applications but includes specific formatting for claims changes and new claims.

The requirements for an appeal brief are set forth in 37 CFR 41.37 and MPEP § 1205, and they apply to a reissue application in the same manner that they apply to a non-reissue application. There is, however, a difference in practice as to presentation of the copy of the claims in the appeal brief for a reissue application. The claims on appeal presented in an appeal brief for a reissue application should include all underlining and bracketing necessary to reflect the changes made to the patent claims during the prosecution of the reissue application. In addition, any new claims added in the reissue application should be completely underlined.

Jump to MPEP Source · 37 CFR 41.37Reissue Patent PracticeExceptions to UnderliningShowing Added Matter (Underlining)
StatutoryInformativeAlways
[mpep-1454-6bbdffa1d5d4553d0d9de110]
Presentation of Claims for Reissue Appeal Brief
Note:
The claims on appeal in a reissue application must include underlining and bracketing to reflect changes made during prosecution, and any new claims should be completely underlined.

The requirements for an appeal brief are set forth in 37 CFR 41.37 and MPEP § 1205, and they apply to a reissue application in the same manner that they apply to a non-reissue application. There is, however, a difference in practice as to presentation of the copy of the claims in the appeal brief for a reissue application. The claims on appeal presented in an appeal brief for a reissue application should include all underlining and bracketing necessary to reflect the changes made to the patent claims during the prosecution of the reissue application. In addition, any new claims added in the reissue application should be completely underlined.

Jump to MPEP Source · 37 CFR 41.37Reissue Patent PracticeExceptions to UnderliningShowing Added Matter (Underlining)
Topic

Showing Added Matter (Underlining)

1 rules
StatutoryRecommendedAlways
[mpep-1454-e93c03e2551c160ce778a7a3]
Claims on Appeal Must Reflect Reissue Changes
Note:
The claims in an appeal brief for a reissue application must include underlining and bracketing to reflect changes made during prosecution.

The requirements for an appeal brief are set forth in 37 CFR 41.37 and MPEP § 1205, and they apply to a reissue application in the same manner that they apply to a non-reissue application. There is, however, a difference in practice as to presentation of the copy of the claims in the appeal brief for a reissue application. The claims on appeal presented in an appeal brief for a reissue application should include all underlining and bracketing necessary to reflect the changes made to the patent claims during the prosecution of the reissue application. In addition, any new claims added in the reissue application should be completely underlined.

Jump to MPEP Source · 37 CFR 41.37Showing Added Matter (Underlining)Reissue Amendment FormatAmendments in Reissue
Topic

Exceptions to Underlining

1 rules
StatutoryRecommendedAlways
[mpep-1454-a0f2aeb82be4fa14972f2404]
New Claims Must Be Underlined In Reissue Application
Note:
Any new claims added in a reissue application must be completely underlined to reflect changes made during prosecution.

The requirements for an appeal brief are set forth in 37 CFR 41.37 and MPEP § 1205, and they apply to a reissue application in the same manner that they apply to a non-reissue application. There is, however, a difference in practice as to presentation of the copy of the claims in the appeal brief for a reissue application. The claims on appeal presented in an appeal brief for a reissue application should include all underlining and bracketing necessary to reflect the changes made to the patent claims during the prosecution of the reissue application. In addition, any new claims added in the reissue application should be completely underlined.

Jump to MPEP Source · 37 CFR 41.37Exceptions to UnderliningShowing Added Matter (Underlining)Reissue Patent Practice

Citations

Primary topicCitation
Exceptions to Underlining
Reissue Patent Practice
Showing Added Matter (Underlining)
37 CFR § 41.37
Exceptions to Underlining
Reissue Patent Practice
Showing Added Matter (Underlining)
MPEP § 1205

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