MPEP Section 900, Prior Art, Classification, and Search
Executive summary:
This document contains the chapter index for Chapter 900 ("Prior Art, Classification, and Search ") 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 main Section index to find a different chapter of the MPEP. 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. BitLaw also provides a key word index to the MPEP that can be directly accessed through the following list:
A • B • C • D • E • F • G • H • I • J • K • L • M • N • O • P • Q • R • S • T • U • V • W • X
For more information on patent law, please see the Patent Section of BitLaw. For patent services, see the Beck & Tysver pages.
901 Prior Art
901.01 Canceled Matter in U.S. Patent Files [R-3]
901.02 Abandoned Applications [R-3]
901.03 Pending Applications [R-3]
901.04 U.S. Patents [R-3]
901.04(a) Kind Codes [R-3]
901.05 Foreign Patent Documents [R-3]
901.05(a) Citation Data [R-3]
901.05(b) Other Significant Data [R-3]
901.05(c) Obtaining Copies [R-3]
901.05(d) Translation [R-5]
901.06 Nonpatent Publications [R-3]
901.06(a) Scientific and Technical Infor-mation Center (STIC) [R-5]
901.06(b) Borrowed Publications
901.06(c) Alien Property Custodian Publications
901.06(d) Abstracts, Abbreviatures, and Defensive Publications
901.07 Arrangement of Art in Technology Centers [R-5]
901.08 Borrowing References [R-5]
902 Search Tools and Classification Information
902.01 Manual of Classification [R-5]
902.01(a) Index to the U.S. Patent Classification System [R-5]
902.02 Class and Subclass Definitions [R-5]
902.02(a) Definition Notes [R-5]
902.03 Classification Information
902.03(a) Patent Classification Home Page on the Internet [R-5]
902.03(b) Patent Classification Home Page on the USPTO Intranet [R-5]
902.03(c) Classification Insight on USPTO Local Area Network (LAN) [R-5]
902.03(d) Patent Information and Search Tools: the Cassis DVD -ROM Series [R-5]
902.03(e) Automated Search Tools: EAST and WEST [R-5]
902.04 Classification Orders [R-5]
902.04(a) Reclassification Alert Report [R-5]
903 Classification
903.01 Statutory Authority
903.02 Basis and Principles of Classification [R-3]
903.02(a) New and Revised Classes [R-5]
903.02(b) Scope of a Class
903.02(c) Establishing Subclasses and Cross-Reference Art Col-lections [R-5]
903.03 Availability of Foreign Patents [R-5]
903.04 Classifying Applications for Publication as a Patent App-lication Publication [R-5]
903.05 Addition, Deletion, or Transfer of U.S. Patents and U.S. Patent Application Publications [R-3]
903.06 Harmonized Subclasses [R-5]
903.07 Classifying and Cross-Referencing at Allowance [R-5]
903.07(a) Cross-Referencing - Keep Systematic Notes During Prosecution
903.07(b) Issuing in Another Technology Center Without Transfer [R-3]
903.08 Applications: Assignment and Transfer
903.08(a) New Applications [R-3]
903.08(b) Classification and Assignment to Examiner [R-3]
903.08(c) Immediate Inspection of Amendments
903.08(d) Transfer Procedure [R-5]
903.08(e) General Guidelines Governing the Assignment of Nonprovisional Applications for Examination [R-5]
903.09 International Classification of Patents for Inventions [R-5]
903.09(a) Locarno Classification Desig-nations [R-5]
904 How to Search [R-5]
904.01 Analysis of Claims
904.01(a) Variant Embodiments Within Scope of Claim
904.01(b) Equivalents
904.01(c) Analogous Arts [R-5]
904.02 General Search Guidelines [R-3]
904.02(a) Classified Search
904.02(b) Search Tool Selection [R-3]
904.02(c) Internet Searching [R-3]
904.03 Conducting the Search
905 Miscellaneous
905.03 Ordering of Patented and Abandoned Provisional and Nonprovisional Application Files [R-5]
905.06 Patent Family Information [R-3]