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1878.02 Reply to the Written Opinion of the ISA or IPEA [R-6] - 1800 Patent Cooperation Treaty
1878.02 Reply to the Written Opinion of the ISA or IPEA [R-6]
PCT ARTICLE 34
Procedure Before the International Preliminary Examining Authority*****
(2)
(d) The applicant may respond to the written opinion.
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PCT RULE 66
Procedure before the International Preliminary Examining Authority*****
PCT RULE 66.3.
Formal Response to the International Preliminary Examining Authority(a) The applicant may respond to the invitation referred to in Rule 66.2(c) of the International Preliminary Examining Authority by making amendments or - if he disagrees with the opinion of that Authority - by submitting arguments, as the case may be, or do both.
(b) Any response shall be submitted directly to the International Preliminary Examining Authority.
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>PCT RULE 66.4.bis
Consideration of Amendments, Arguments and Rectifications of Obvious MistakesAmendments, arguments and rectifications of obvious mistakes need not be taken into account by the International Preliminary Examining Authority for the purposes of a written opinion or the international preliminary examination report if they are received by, authorized by or notified to that Authority, as applicable, after it has begun to draw up that opinion or report. <
PCT RULE 66.5.
AmendmentAny change, other than the rectification of **>an obvious mistake<, in the claims, the description, or the drawings, including cancellation of claims, omission of passages in the description, or omission of certain drawings, shall be considered an amendment.
PCT RULE 66.6.
Informal Communications with the ApplicantThe International Preliminary Examining Authority may, at any time, communicate informally, over the telephone, in writing, or through personal interviews, with the applicant. The said Authority shall, at its discretion, decide whether it wishes to grant more than one personal interview if so requested by the applicant, or whether it wishes to reply to any informal written communication from the applicant.
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PCT RULE 66.8.
Form of Amendments(a) Subject to paragraph (b), the applicant shall be required to submit a replacement sheet for every sheet of the international application which, on account of an amendment, differs from the sheet previously filed. The letter accompanying the replacement sheets shall draw attention to the differences between the replaced sheets and the replacement sheets and shall preferably also explain the reasons for the amendment.
(b) Where the amendment consists in the deletion of passages or in minor alterations or additions, the replacement sheet referred to in paragraph (a) may be a copy of the relevant sheet of the international application containing the alterations or additions, provided that the clarity and direct reproducibility of that sheet are not adversely affected. To the extent that any amendment results in the cancellation of an entire sheet, that amendment shall be communicated in a letter which shall preferably also explain the reasons for the amendment.
PCT RULE 66.9.
Language of Amendments(a) Subject to paragraphs (b) and (c), if the international application has been filed in a language other than the language in which it is published, any amendment, as well as any letter referred to in Rule 66.8, shall be submitted in the language of publication.
(b) If the international preliminary examination is carried out, pursuant to rule 55.2, on the basis of a translation of the international application, any amendment, as well as any letter referred to in paragraph (a), shall be submitted in the language of that translation.
(c) Subject to Rule 55.3, if an amendment or letter is not submitted in a language as required under paragraph (a) or (b), the International Preliminary Examining Authority shall, if practicable, having regard to the time limit for establishing the international preliminary examination report, invite the applicant to furnish the amendment or letter in the required language within a time limit which shall be reasonable under the circumstances.
(d) If the applicant fails to comply, within the time limit under paragraph (c), with the invitation to furnish an amendment in the required language, the amendment shall not be taken into account for the purposes of the international preliminary examination. If the applicant fails to comply, within the time limit under paragraph (c), with the invitation to furnish a letter referred to in paragraph (a) in the required language, the amendment concerned need not be taken into account for the purposes of the international preliminary examination.
37 CFR 1.485 Amendments by applicant during international preliminary examination.
(a) The applicant may make amendments at the time of filing the Demand. The applicant may also make amendments within the time limit set by the International Preliminary Examining Authority for reply to any notification under § 1.484(b) or to any written opinion. Any such amendments must:
(1) Be made by submitting a replacement sheet in compliance with PCT Rules 10 and 11.1 to 11.13 for every sheet of the application which differs from the sheet it replaces unless an entire sheet is cancelled; and
(2) Include a description of how the replacement sheet differs from the replaced sheet. Amendments that do not comply with PCT Rules 10 and 11.1 to 11.13 may not be entered
(b) If an amendment cancels an entire sheet of the international application, that amendment shall be communicated in a letter.
All amendments in reply to a written opinion must be received within the time limit set for reply in order to be assured of consideration in the international preliminary examination report. Amendments filed at or before expiration of the period for reply will be considered. Since the examiner will begin to draw up the *>international preliminary examination< report rather promptly after the time period expires, amendments filed after expiration of the reply period may not be considered. However, as indicated in MPEP § 1871, there may be situations where it is advisable, to the extent possible, to take such amendments or arguments into account, for example, where the international preliminary examination report has not yet been completed and it is readily apparent to the examiner that consideration of the late-filed response would result in the issuance of a favorable report. In view of the short time period for completion of preliminary examination, applicants are strongly encouraged to file any amendments promptly. 37 CFR 1.484(d) does not allow for extensions of time to reply to a written opinion. The policy of not allowing extensions of time is to ensure that the USPTO can meet its treaty deadline for transmission of the *>international preliminary examination< report.
Any change, other than the rectification of obvious *>mistakes< in the claims, the description, or the drawings, including the cancellation of claims, omission of passages in the description or omission of certain drawings will be considered an amendment ( PCT Rule 66.5). The Patent and Trademark Office when acting as the International Preliminary Examining Authority will not accept any non-English applications or amendments.
Any amendments to the claims, the description, and the drawings in reply to a written opinion must (1) be made by submitting a replacement sheet for every sheet of the application which differs from the sheet it replaces unless an entire sheet is cancelled and (2) include a description of how the replacement sheet differs from the replaced sheet in accordance with PCT Rule 66.8.
In the particular case where the amendment cancels claims, passages in the description or certain drawings resulting in the cancellation of an entire sheet, the amendment must be submitted in the form of a letter cancelling the sheet ( PCT Rule 66.8(a)).
Replacement sheets must be in typed form.
Any paper submitted by the applicant, if not in the form of a letter, must be accompanied by a letter signed by the applicant or agent ( PCT Rule 92.1). The letter must draw attention to the differences between the replaced sheet and the replacement sheet.
The examiner should make sure that amendments filed in accordance with the PCT, which are necessary to correct any deficiencies notified to the applicant, do not go beyond the disclosure of the international application as filed, thus violating PCT Article 34(2)(b). In other words, no amendment should contain matter that cannot be substantiated by the application as originally filed. In a situation where new matter is introduced by amendment in reply to a written opinion, the international preliminary examination report will be established as if the amendment had not been made, and the report should so indicate. It shall also indicate the reasons why the amendment goes beyond the disclosure ( PCT Rule 70.2(c)). Although new matter which appears on a replacement sheet will be disregarded for the purpose of establishing the report, the remainder of the replacement sheet, including any amendments which do not constitute new matter, will be taken into consideration for the purpose of establishing the report.
INTERVIEWS
The examiner or applicant may, after the filing of a demand and during the time limit for reply to the written opinion, request a telephone or personal interview. Only one interview is a matter of right, whether by telephone or in person. Additional interviews may be authorized by the examiner in a particular international application where such additional interview may be helpful to advance the international preliminary examination procedure.
All interviews of substance must be made of record by using PCT/IPEA/428 Notice on Informal Communication with the Applicant.
When an interview is arranged, whether by telephone or in writing, and whether by the examiner or by the applicant, the matters for discussion should be stated.
The records of interviews or telephone conversations should indicate, where appropriate, whether a reply is due from the applicant or agent or whether the examiner wishes to issue an additional written opinion or establish the international preliminary examination report.
If the applicant desires to reply to the written opinion, such reply must be filed within the time limit set for reply in order to assure consideration. No extensions to the time limit will be considered or granted. If no timely reply is received from the applicant, the international preliminary examination report will be established by the examiner, treating each claim substantially as it was treated in the written opinion. Replies to the written opinion which are not filed within the time limit set but which reach the examiner before the examiner takes up the application for preparation of the final report may be considered. Thus, only timely replies can be assured of consideration.
The applicant may reply to the invitation referred to in Rule 66.2(c) by making amendments or, if the applicant disagrees with the opinion of the authority, by submitting arguments, as the case may be, or both ( PCT Rule 66.3).
If applicant does not reply to the written opinion, the international preliminary examination report will be prepared in time for forwarding to the International Division in finished form by 27 months from the priority date.
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