What is an affidavit or declaration under 37 CFR 1.132?

Source: FAQ (MPEP-Based)BlueIron Update: 2024-09-10

This page is an FAQ based on guidance from the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only: it is not legal advice.

An affidavit or declaration under 37 CFR 1.132 is a form of evidence submitted to traverse rejections or objections in a patent application or reexamination. The MPEP states:

When any claim of an application or a patent under reexamination is rejected or objected to, any evidence submitted to traverse the rejection or objection on a basis not otherwise provided for must be by way of an oath or declaration under this section.

This means that when an applicant wants to present evidence to overcome a rejection that doesn’t fit into other specific categories, they must use a 1.132 affidavit or declaration.

Tags: 37 Cfr 1 132, 37 Cfr 1132, affidavit, declaration, evidence, Patent Objection, Patent Rejection