MPEP § 802.02 — Definition of Restriction (Annotated Rules)
This page consolidates and annotates all enforceable requirements under MPEP § 802.02, 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.
Definition of Restriction
This section addresses Definition of Restriction.
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.
Official MPEP § 802.02 — Definition of Restriction
Source: USPTO802.02 Definition of Restriction [R-08.2012]
Restriction is the practice of requiring an applicant to elect a single claimed invention (e.g., a combination or subcombination invention, a product or process invention, a species within a genus) for examination when two or more independent inventions and/or two or more distinct inventions are claimed in an application.