How should applicants respond if information remains unknown after a reasonable inquiry?

If information remains unknown after a reasonable inquiry, applicants can simply state that the requested information is either unknown or not readily available. There’s no need to distinguish between these two scenarios.

MPEP 704.12(b) states: “Thus, if information remains unknown after a reasonable inquiry is made, applicant may simply reply that the requested information is either unknown or is not readily available rather than be required to make a categorical position either that the information is unknown to the applicant, or that the information is not readily available to the applicant.”

This approach simplifies the response process for applicants while still meeting the requirements of a complete reply.

To learn more:

• unknown information
• reasonable inquiry
• patent application response
• MPEP 704.12(b)

To learn more:

• MPEP 704.12(b)