What are the consequences of failing to timely submit a reference to a prior-filed application for a benefit claim under 35 U.S.C. 120 or 119(e)?

Failure to timely submit the reference to the prior-filed application within the time periods specified in 37 CFR 1.78 is considered a waiver of any benefit claim under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) to the prior-filed application. See 37 CFR 1.78(d)(3)(iii). The time periods are not extendable. If the reference to the prior-filed…

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What is the ‘specific reference’ requirement for claiming benefit of a prior-filed application?

What is the ‘specific reference’ requirement for claiming benefit of a prior-filed application? The ‘specific reference’ requirement is a crucial aspect of claiming the benefit of a prior-filed application. According to MPEP 211.01, To claim the benefit of a prior-filed application, the later-filed application must contain a specific reference to the prior-filed application. This means…

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