What are the consequences of undescribed broken lines in international design application drawings?
Undescribed broken lines in international design application drawings can lead to a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) for indefiniteness. The MPEP provides a form paragraph for examiners to use in such cases:
To overcome this rejection, applicants can insert a statement in the specification explaining the purpose of the broken lines, such as: “The broken line showing of [2] is for the purpose of illustrating [3] and forms no part of the claimed design.”
To learn more:
Topics:
MPEP 2900 - International Design Applications,
MPEP 2920.05(C) - Considerations Under 35 U.S.C. 112,
Patent Law,
Patent Procedure