What information from related litigation or trial proceedings must be disclosed to the USPTO?
According to MPEP 2001.06(c), any material information arising from litigation or trial proceedings related to the subject matter for which a patent is being sought must be disclosed to the USPTO. This includes: Evidence of possible prior public use or sales Questions of inventorship Prior art Allegations of fraud, inequitable conduct, or violation of duty…
Read MoreWhat is the requirement for ‘lack of deceptive intention’ in reissue applications?
For reissue applications filed before September 16, 2012, there was a specific requirement regarding ‘lack of deceptive intention’. The MPEP states: For reissue applications filed prior to September 16, 2012, both pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 251 and pre-AIA 37 CFR 1.175 require that the reissue oath or declaration must state that the error arose “without any…
Read MoreWhat should inventors know about the USPTO’s approach to duty of disclosure issues?
Inventors should be aware of the following key points regarding the USPTO’s approach to duty of disclosure issues: The USPTO does not investigate or reject applications based on duty of disclosure violations during examination. Examiners will not comment on duty of disclosure issues brought to their attention, except to note that such issues are not…
Read MoreAre inventors always subject to the duty to disclose?
Yes, inventors are always subject to the duty to disclose information material to patentability. The MPEP, citing 37 CFR 1.56(c), explicitly states that individuals associated with the filing or prosecution of a patent application include: “(1) Each inventor named in the application” This means that every inventor listed on a patent application has a duty…
Read MoreWhat type of information must be disclosed to the USPTO?
The duty of disclosure requires individuals to disclose information that is material to patentability. While the specific MPEP section provided doesn’t elaborate on this, the general understanding based on 37 CFR 1.56 is that material information includes: Prior art references Information about enablement Information related to statutory bars Any information that a reasonable examiner would…
Read MoreWhat information must be disclosed in reexamination proceedings?
In reexamination proceedings, individuals associated with the patent owner must disclose all information known to be material to patentability. According to MPEP 2014: “The duty to disclose the information exists with respect to each claim pending in the reexamination proceeding until the claim is cancelled. Information material to the patentability of a cancelled claim need…
Read MoreWhat type of information can an examiner require under 37 CFR 1.105?
Under 37 CFR 1.105, an examiner can require information that is reasonably necessary to examine or treat a matter in an application. This includes: Information relevant to examination either procedurally or substantively Information beyond what is defined as material to patentability under 37 CFR 1.56 Information that may not be directly useful to support a…
Read MoreWhat information is considered material to patentability?
Information material to patentability is broadly defined in 37 CFR 1.56. It includes: Prior art such as patents and publications Information on enablement Possible prior public uses, sales, or offers to sell Derived knowledge Prior invention by another Inventorship conflicts Litigation statements As stated in the MPEP, “Materiality is not limited to prior art but…
Read MoreWhat is an Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) in patent prosecution?
An Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) is a formal document submitted to the USPTO during patent prosecution to disclose relevant prior art or other material information. According to 37 CFR 1.97, as referenced in the MPEP, The provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 specify when an information disclosure statement will be considered as a matter of right…
Read MoreWhat is the extent of information disclosure required under 37 CFR 1.56(a)?
What is the extent of information disclosure required under 37 CFR 1.56(a)? Under 37 CFR 1.56(a), the duty to disclose information extends to “all information known to be material to patentability.” The MPEP clarifies this by stating: “The duty to disclose all information known to be material to patentability is deemed to be satisfied if…
Read More