What types of activities can be used against claims in patent applications?

According to MPEP 715.01(d), various types of activities can be used against claims in patent applications. These include: Public use Sales Publications Patents Abandoned applications Statutory invention registrations (SIRs) The MPEP states: ‘The rejection may be based on activities by the inventor(s) or a different inventive entity.’ This means that both the applicant’s own activities…

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What types of activities can be used against claims in a patent application?

According to MPEP 715.01(d), various activities can be used against claims in a patent application. These include: Public use Sales Publications Patents Abandonment The MPEP states: ‘The 1-year grace period in pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(b) is measured from the filing date to which the application is entitled (United States filing date or foreign priority date)…

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What is an Accelerated Examination Support Document?

An Accelerated Examination Support Document is a critical component of the Accelerated Examination process. It must include: An information disclosure statement citing the most closely related prior art An identification of all limitations in the claims that are disclosed by the cited references A detailed explanation of patentability over the cited references A concise statement…

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What are Abstracts, Abbreviatures, and Defensive Publications in patent law?

Abstracts, Abbreviatures, and Defensive Publications are historical forms of patent-related publications that were used to disclose inventions without pursuing a full patent: Abstracts: Summaries of abandoned applications, published from 1949 to 1953. Abbreviatures: Specific portions of abandoned applications, published from 1964 to 1965. Defensive Publications: Abstracts of pending applications where the applicant waived rights to…

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Can an abandoned application be used as a reference against other applications?

Can an abandoned application be used as a reference against other applications? Yes, an abandoned application can be used as a reference against other applications under certain circumstances. The MPEP 711.02(b) states: “An abandoned application, whether abandoned by operation of law or expressly abandoned by the applicant, is available as prior art under 35 U.S.C.…

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What is the purpose of 37 CFR 1.131(c)?

37 CFR 1.131(c) provides a mechanism to disqualify certain prior art in patent applications or patents under reexamination. Specifically, it addresses situations where: A claim is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 (as in effect on March 15, 2013) The rejection is based on a U.S. patent or U.S. patent application publication that is not prior…

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Can a 37 CFR 1.130(a) declaration be used for disclosures made more than one year before the effective filing date?

No, a declaration under 37 CFR 1.130(a) cannot be used for disclosures made more than one year before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. This limitation is clearly stated in MPEP 717.01(a): ‘The provisions of 37 CFR 1.130(a) are not available if the rejection is based upon a disclosure made more than one…

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