How can an applicant overcome a 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) rejection based on prior art with a common assignee?

How can an applicant overcome a 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) rejection based on prior art with a common assignee? An applicant can overcome a 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) rejection based on prior art with a common assignee by invoking the common ownership exception under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C). According to MPEP 2152.06: “An applicant may show that the…

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How does new matter in a continuation-in-part (CIP) application affect the effective filing date?

New matter introduced in a continuation-in-part (CIP) application can significantly affect the effective filing date of certain claims. The MPEP 2152.01 provides guidance on this issue: “In the case of a continuation-in-part application, any claims that are fully supported by a prior-filed application are entitled to the benefit of the filing date of that prior-filed…

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What are inventor-originated prior public disclosures?

Inventor-originated prior public disclosures are another type of prior art exception under the America Invents Act (AIA). These disclosures refer to public disclosures made by the inventor or a joint inventor before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. The MPEP section 2153 mentions this concept: See MPEP § 2153.02 for prior art exceptions…

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What should examiners consider when performing an interference search for applications with different effective filing dates?

Patent examiners must be particularly careful when conducting interference searches for applications that may have claims with different effective filing dates. The MPEP 2304.01(a) provides guidance on this matter: “Examiners are reminded that some applications, such as continuation-in-part applications, may contain claims entitled to different effective filing dates (see MPEP §§ 2133.01 and 2152.01), and…

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How do examiners determine the effective filing date for 35 U.S.C. 102 rejections?

How do examiners determine the effective filing date for 35 U.S.C. 102 rejections? Examiners determine the effective filing date for 35 U.S.C. 102 rejections by considering several factors: The actual filing date of the patent application Any priority claims to earlier applications The filing date of the earliest application that supports the claimed invention According…

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How are tie situations handled when two applications with interfering claims are ready to issue?

In the rare situation where two applications with interfering claims are both ready to issue simultaneously, the USPTO follows specific guidelines as outlined in MPEP 2303.01: “Two applications, E and F, which are both subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(g), with interfering claims are pending. Both are ready to issue. (Such ties should be extremely…

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