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2268 Petition for Entry of Late Papers - 2200 Citation of Prior Art and Ex Parte Reexamination of Patents
2268 Petition for Entry of Late Papers for Revival of Reexamination Proceeding [R-7]
35 U.S.C. 41 Patent fees; patent and trademark search systems.
(a) GENERAL FEES. - The Director shall charge the following fees:
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(7) REVIVAL FEES. - On filing each petition for the revival of an unintentionally abandoned application for a patent, for the unintentionally delayed payment of the fee for issuing each patent, or for an unintentionally delayed response by the patent owner in any reexamination proceeding, $1,500, unless the petition is filed under section 133 or 151 of this title, in which case the fee shall be $500.
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35 U.S.C. 133 Time for prosecuting application.
Upon failure of the applicant to prosecute the application within six months after any action therein, of which notice has been given or mailed to the applicant, or within such shorter time, not less than thirty days, as fixed by the Director in such action, the application shall be regarded as abandoned by the parties thereto, unless it be shown to the satisfaction of the Director that such delay was unavoidable.
37 CFR 1.137 **>Revival of abandoned application, terminated or limited reexamination prosecution, or lapsed patent.
(a) Unavoidable. If the delay in reply by applicant or patent owner was unavoidable, a petition may be filed pursuant to this paragraph to revive an abandoned application, a reexamination prosecution terminated under §§ 1.550(d) or 1.957(b) or limited under § 1.957(c), or a lapsed patent. A grantable petition pursuant to this paragraph must be accompanied by:<
(1) The reply required to the outstanding Office action or notice, unless previously filed;
(2) The petition fee as set forth in § 1.17(l);
(3) A showing to the satisfaction of the Director that the entire delay in filing the required reply from the due date for the reply until the filing of a grantable petition pursuant to this paragraph was unavoidable; and
(4) Any terminal disclaimer (and fee as set forth in § 1.20(d)) required pursuant to paragraph (d) of this section.
(b) **>Unintentional. If the delay in reply by applicant or patent owner was unintentional, a petition may be filed pursuant to this paragraph to revive an abandoned application, a reexamination prosecution terminated under §§ 1.550(d) or 1.957(b) or limited under § 1.957(c), or a lapsed patent. A grantable petition pursuant to this paragraph must be accompanied by:<
(1) The reply required to the outstanding Office action or notice, unless previously filed;
(2) The petition fee as set forth in § 1.17(m);
(3) A statement that the entire delay in filing the required reply from the due date for the reply until the filing of a grantable petition pursuant to this paragraph was unintentional. The Director may require additional information where there is a question whether the delay was unintentional; and
(4) Any terminal disclaimer (and fee as set forth in § 1.20(d)) required pursuant to paragraph (d) of this section.
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(e) Request for reconsideration. Any request for reconsideration or review of a decision refusing to revive an abandoned application, a terminated or limited reexamination prosecution, or lapsed patent upon petition filed pursuant to this section, to be considered timely, must be filed within two months of the decision refusing to revive or within such time as set in the decision. Unless a decision indicates otherwise, this time period may be extended under:
(1) The provisions of § 1.136 for an abandoned application or lapsed patent;
(2) The provisions of § 1.550(c) for a terminated ex parte reexamination prosecution, where the ex parte reexamination was filed under § 1.510; or
(3) The provisions of § 1.956 for a terminated inter partes reexamination prosecution or an inter partes reexamination limited as to further prosecution, where the inter partes reexamination was filed under § 1.913.<
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Pursuant to 37 CFR 1.550(d), the prosecution of an ex parte reexamination proceeding is terminated if the patent owner fails to file a timely and appropriate response to any Office action or any written statement of an interview required under 37 CFR 1.560(b). An ex parte reexamination prosecution terminated under 37 CFR 1.550(d) can be revived if the delay in response by the patent owner (or the failure to timely file the interview statement) was unavoidable in accordance with 37 CFR 1.137(a), or unintentional in accordance with 37 CFR 1.137(b).
The failure to timely file a statement pursuant to 37 CFR 1.530 or a reply pursuant to 37 CFR 1.535, however, would not (under ordinary circumstances) constitute adequate basis to justify a showing of unavoidable/unintentional delay regardless of the reasons for the failure, since failure to file a statement or reply does not result in a "termination" of the reexamination prosecution, to which 37 CFR 1.137 is directed.
All petitions in reexamination proceedings to accept late papers and to revive the proceedings will be decided in the Office of Patent Legal Administration.
I. PETITION BASED ON UNAVOIDABLE DELAY
The unavoidable delay provisions of 35 U.S.C. 133 are imported into, and are applicable to, ex parte reexamination proceedings by 35 U.S.C. 305. See In re Katrapat, 6 USPQ2d 1863 (Comm'r Pat. 1988). Accordingly, the Office will consider, in appropriate circumstances, a petition showing unavoidable delay under 37 CFR 1.137(a) where untimely papers are filed subsequent to the order for reexamination. Any such petition must provide an adequate showing of the cause of unavoidable delay, including the details of the circumstances surrounding the unavoidable delay and evidence to support the showing. Additionally, the petition must be accompanied by the petition fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(l) and a proposed response to continue prosecution (unless it has been previously filed).
II. PETITION BASED ON UNINTENTIONAL DELAY
The unintentional delay fee provisions of 35 U.S.C. 41(a)(7) are imported into, and are applicable to, all ex parte reexamination proceedings by section 4605 of the American Inventors Protection Act of 1999. The unintentional delay provisions of 35 U.S.C. 41(a)(7) became effective in reexamination proceedings on November 29, 2000. Accordingly, the Office will consider, in appropriate circumstances, a petition showing unintentional delay under 37 CFR 1.137(b) where untimely papers are filed subsequent to the order for reexamination. Any such petition must provide a verified statement that the delay was unintentional, a proposed response to continue prosecution (unless it has been previously filed), and the petition fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(m).
III. RENEWED PETITION
Reconsideration may be requested of a decision dismissing or denying a petition under 37 CFR 1.137(a) or (b) to revive a terminated reexamination prosecution. The request for reconsideration must be submitted within one (1) month from the mail date of the decision for which reconsideration is requested. An extension of time may be requested only under 37 CFR 1.550(c); extensions of time under 37 CFR 1.136 are not available in reexamination proceedings. Any reconsideration request which is submitted should include a cover letter entitled "Renewed Petition under 37 CFR 1.137(a)" (for a petition based on unavoidable delay) or "Renewed Petition under 37 CFR 1.137(b)" (for a petition based on unintentional delay).
IV. FURTHER DISCUSSION OF THE PETITION REQUIREMENTS
See also MPEP § 711.03(c), subsection III, for a detailed discussion of the requirements of petitions filed under 37 CFR 1.137(a) and (b).
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