Can an applicant retroactively obtain 35 U.S.C. 121 safe harbor protection?

No, an applicant cannot retroactively obtain the safe harbor protection of 35 U.S.C. 121 against nonstatutory double patenting. The MPEP clearly states: “A patentee cannot retroactively recover the safe harbor protection of 35 U.S.C. 121 against nonstatutory double patenting by amending a patent that issued from a continuation-in-part application to only subject matter in the…

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