What happens if an amendment under 37 CFR 1.312 is not approved by the examiner?
What happens if an amendment under 37 CFR 1.312 is not approved by the examiner? If an amendment submitted under 37 CFR 1.312 is not approved by the examiner, it will not be entered into the application. According to MPEP 714.16: ‘If the amendment is disapproved by the examiner, the amendment shall be placed in…
Read MoreWhat is a bona fide attempt to respond in patent applications?
What is a bona fide attempt to respond in patent applications? A bona fide attempt to respond in patent applications refers to an applicant’s genuine effort to address all the issues raised by the examiner in the previous Office action. According to MPEP 714.03, “A bona fide attempt to respond to the prior Office action…
Read MoreWhat is the process for handling amendments under 37 CFR 1.312?
Amendments under 37 CFR 1.312 are handled as follows: Sent to the Office of Patent Application Processing (OPAP) for scanning and uploading into the IFW. OPAP messages the Office of Data Management, which reviews and forwards to the Technology Center (TC) that allowed the application. TC completes the action and messages the Office of Data…
Read MoreWhat is the impact of amendments after final rejection on appeal rights?
Amendments submitted after a final rejection do not automatically remove the application from its appeal-ready or potentially abandoned status. As stated in MPEP 714.12: The admission of, or refusal to admit, any amendment after a final rejection, a final action, an action closing prosecution, or any related proceedings will not operate to relieve the application…
Read MoreWhat is the procedure for handling amendments under 37 CFR 1.312 that include copied patent claims?
The procedure for handling amendments under 37 CFR 1.312 that include copied patent claims is outlined in MPEP Chapter 2300. According to MPEP 714.16(a), “See MPEP Chapter 2300 for the procedure to be followed when an amendment is received after notice of allowance which includes one or more claims copied or substantially copied from a…
Read MoreWhat are the options for amendments after final rejection?
After a final rejection, an applicant has several options for amendments: Cancel claims or comply with form requirements from a previous Office action Present rejected claims in better form for appeal consideration Submit amendments touching the merits of the application, if good and sufficient reasons are shown As stated in MPEP 714.12: Any amendment that…
Read MoreHow are amendments treated after an Ex parte Quayle action?
After an Ex parte Quayle action, amendments are treated similarly to amendments after final rejection. MPEP 714.14 states: Amendments touching the merits are treated in a manner similar to amendments after final rejection, though the prosecution may be continued as to the formal matters. This means that while amendments addressing the formal matters are generally…
Read MoreWhat happens to amendments filed under 37 CFR 1.312 with a motion under 37 CFR 41.208?
Amendments filed under 37 CFR 1.312 with a motion under 37 CFR 41.208 are subject to specific rules when they apply to an application in issue. According to MPEP 714.16(b), “Where an amendment filed with a motion under 37 CFR 41.208(c)(2) applies to an application in issue, the amendment is not entered unless and until…
Read MoreWho evaluates amendments for compliance with 37 CFR 1.121?
According to MPEP 714.18, the examiner, not the technical support staff, is responsible for evaluating amendments for compliance with 37 CFR 1.121. The MPEP states: “Evaluation of the amendment after final rejection for compliance with 37 CFR 1.121 should be left to the examiner, and not treated by the technical support staff before forwarding the…
Read MoreWhen are amendments under 37 CFR 1.312 entered for applications in issue?
For applications in issue, amendments filed under 37 CFR 1.312 along with a motion under 37 CFR 41.208 are not immediately entered. MPEP 714.16(b) states: “Where an amendment filed with a motion under 37 CFR 41.208(c)(2) applies to an application in issue, the amendment is not entered unless and until the motion has been granted.”…
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