MPEP Section 1442.01, Litigation-Related Reissues

Executive summary:

This document contains Section 1442.01 ("Litigation-Related Reissues ") of the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (the "M.P.E.P."), Eighth Edition, Eighth Revision (July 2010). This page was last updated in January 2011. You may return to the section index to find a particular section. Alternatively, you may search the MPEP using the search box that appears on the left side of every page of BitLaw--you may restrict your search to the MPEP on the search results page.

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1442.01 Litigation-Related Reissues [R-7]

During initial review, the examiner should determine whether the patent for which the reissue has been filed is involved in litigation, and if so, the status of that litigation. If the examiner becomes aware of litigation involving the patent sought to be reissued during examination of the reissue application, and applicant has not made the details regarding that litigation of record in the reissue application, the examiner, in the next Office action, will inquire regarding the specific details of the litigation.

Form paragraph 14.06 may be used for such an inquiry.

¶ 14.06 Litigation-Related Reissue

The patent sought to be reissued by this application [1] involved in litigation. Any documents and/or materials which would be material to patentability of this reissue application are required to be made of record in response to this action.

Due to the related litigation status of this application, EXTENSIONS OF TIME UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 37 CFR 1.136(a) WILL NOT BE PERMITTED DURING THE PROSECUTION OF THIS APPLICATION.

Examiner Note:

In bracket 1, insert either -is- or -has been-.

If additional details of the litigation appear to be material to examination of the reissue application, the examiner may make such additional inquiries as necessary and appropriate.

**For reissue application files that are maintained in the Image File Wrapper (IFW) system, if the existence of litigation has not already been noted, the examiner should print out a copy of the bibliographic data sheet from the IFW file history and annotate the printed bibliographic data sheet such that adequate notice is provided of the existence of the litigation. The examiner should place the annotation in a prominent place. The annotated sheet should be scanned into IFW.

Applicants will normally be given 1 month to reply to Office actions in all reissue applications *>that< are being examined during litigation, or after litigation had been stayed, dismissed, etc., to allow for consideration of the reissue by the Office. This 1-month period may be extended only upon a showing of clear justification **>under< 37 CFR 1.136(b). The Office action will inform applicant that the provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a) are not available. Of course, up to 3 months may be >initially< set for reply if the examiner>, consultating with his/her supervisor,< determines such a period is clearly justified.