[Code of Federal Regulations] [Title 37, Volume 1] [Revised as of July 1, 2002] From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access [CITE: 37CFR1.565] [Page 138-139] TITLE 37--PATENTS, TRADEMARKS, AND COPYRIGHTS DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PART 1--RULES OF PRACTICE IN PATENT CASES--Table of Contents Subpart D--Ex Parte Reexamination of Patents Sec. 1.565 Concurrent office proceedings which include an ex parte reexamination proceeding. (a) In an ex parte reexamination proceeding before the Office, the patent owner must inform the Office of any prior or concurrent proceedings in which the patent is or was involved such as interferences, reissues, ex parte reexaminations, inter partes reexaminations, or litigation and the results of such proceedings. See Sec. 1.985 for notification of prior or concurrent proceedings in an inter partes reexamination proceeding. (b) If a patent in the process of ex parte reexamination is or becomes involved in litigation, the Commissioner shall determine whether or not to suspend the reexamination. See Sec. 1.987 for inter partes reexamination proceedings. (c) If ex parte reexamination is ordered while a prior ex parte reexamination proceeding is pending and prosecution in the prior ex parte reexamination proceeding has not been terminated, the ex parte reexamination proceedings will be consolidated and result in the issuance of a single certificate under Sec. 1.570. For merger of inter partes reexamination proceedings, see Sec. 1.989(a). For merger of ex parte reexamination and inter partes reexamination proceedings, see Sec. 1.989(b). (d) If a reissue application and an ex parte reexamination proceeding on which an order pursuant to Sec. 1.525 has been mailed are pending concurrently on a patent, a decision will normally be made to merge the two proceedings or to suspend one of the two proceedings. Where merger of a reissue application and an ex parte reexamination proceeding is ordered, the merged examination will be conducted in accordance with Secs. 1.171 through 1.179, and the patent owner will be required to place and maintain the same claims in the reissue application and the ex parte reexamination proceeding during the pendency of the merged proceeding. The examiner's actions and responses by the patent owner in a merged proceeding will apply to both the reissue [[Page 139]] application and the ex parte reexamination proceeding and be physically entered into both files. Any ex parte reexamination proceeding merged with a reissue application shall be terminated by the grant of the reissued patent. For merger of a reissue application and an inter partes reexamination, see Sec. 1.991. (e) If a patent in the process of ex parte reexamination is or becomes involved in an interference, the Commissioner may suspend the reexamination or the interference. The Commissioner will not consider a request to suspend an interference unless a motion (Sec. 1.635) to suspend the interference has been presented to, and denied by, an administrative patent judge, and the request is filed within ten (10) days of a decision by an administrative patent judge denying the motion for suspension or such other time as the administrative patent judge may set. For concurrent inter partes reexamination and interference of a patent, see Sec. 1.993. [65 FR 76776, Dec. 7, 2000] Ex Parte Reexamination Certificate