Can a registered patent practitioner withdraw from multiple applications simultaneously?

Yes, a registered patent practitioner can withdraw from multiple applications simultaneously. The process is as follows: File a single request listing all affected application and patent numbers. Include the correspondence address for each application or patent. If applicable, provide new attorney registration numbers for each case. According to MPEP 2560: “A request for withdrawal from…

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How does the USPTO handle provisional double patenting rejections?

The USPTO handles provisional double patenting rejections as follows: Examiners make a complete examination of claims in each application filed by the same applicant or assignee. If patentably indistinct claims are found, appropriate rejections are entered in each application. Claims may be rejected on the grounds of provisional double patenting based on the claims of…

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What are patentably indistinct claims in patent applications?

Patentably indistinct claims are claims in two or more applications filed by the same applicant or assignee that are substantially similar in scope and content. According to MPEP 822, “Where two or more applications filed by the same applicant or assignee contain patentably indistinct claims, elimination of such claims from all but one application may…

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What guidance does MPEP 806.03 provide for voluntarily presented claims in different applications?

MPEP 806.03 offers specific guidance for situations where similar claims are voluntarily presented in different patent applications. The section states: “Where such claims are voluntarily presented in different applications having at least one common (joint) inventor or a common assignee (i.e., no restriction requirement was made by the Office), disclosing the same embodiments, see MPEP…

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