Go to MPEP - Table of Contents
2265 Extension of Time [R-7] - 2200 Citation of Prior Art and Ex Parte Reexamination of Patents
2265 Extension of Time [R-7]
37 CFR 1.550 Conduct of ex parte reexamination proceedings.
*****
(c) The time for taking any action by a patent owner in an ex parte reexamination proceeding will be extended only for sufficient cause and for a reasonable time specified. Any request for such extension must be filed on or before the day on which action by the patent owner is due, but in no case will the mere filing of a request effect any extension. Any request for such extension must be accompanied by the petition fee set forth in § 1.17(g). See § 1.304(a) for extensions of time for filing a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit or for commencing a civil action.
*****
The provisions of 37 CFR 1.136 (a) and (b) are NOT applicable to ex parte reexamination proceedings under any circumstances. Public Law 97-247 amended 35 U.S.C. 41 to authorize the Director to provide for extensions of time to take action which do not require a reason for the extension in an "application." An ex parte reexamination proceeding does not involve an "application." 37 CFR 1.136 authorizes extensions of the time period only in an application in which an applicant must respond or take action. There is neither an "application," nor an "applicant" involved in a reexamination proceeding.
An extension of time in an ex parte reexamination proceeding is requested pursuant to 37 CFR 1.550(c). Accordingly, a request for an extension (A) must be filed on or before the day on which action by the patent owner is due and (B) must set forth sufficient reason for the extension, and (C) must be accompanied by the petition fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(g). Requests for an extension of time in an ex parte reexamination proceeding will be considered only after the decision to grant or deny reexamination is mailed. Any request filed before that decision will be denied.
The certificate of mailing and the certificate of transmission procedures ( 37 CFR 1.8) and the "Express Mail" mailing procedure ( 37 CFR 1.10) may be used to file a request for extension of time, as well as any other paper in a pending ex parte reexamination proceeding (see MPEP § 2266).
With the exception of an automatic 1-month extension of time to take further action which will be granted upon filing a first timely response to a final Office action (see MPEP § 2272), all requests for extensions of time to file a patent owner statement under 37 CFR 1.530 or respond to any subsequent Office action in an ex parte reexamination proceeding must be filed under 37 CFR 1.550(c) and will be decided by the Director of the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) or Technology Center (TC) conducting the reexamination proceeding. These requests for an extension of time will be granted only for sufficient cause and must be filed on or before the day on which action by the patent owner is due. In no case, other than the "after final" practice set forth immediately above, will mere filing of a request for extension of time automatically effect any extension. Evaluation of whether sufficient cause has been shown for an extension must be made in the context of providing the patent owner with a fair opportunity to present an argument against any attack on the patent, and the requirement of the statute ( 35 U.S.C. 305) that the proceedings be conducted with special dispatch.
Any request for an extension of time in a reexamination proceeding must fully state the reasons therefor. The reasons must include (A) a statement of what action the patent owner has taken to provide a response, to date as of the date the request for extension is submitted, and (B) why, in spite of the action taken thus far, the requested additional time is needed. The statement of (A) must provide a factual accounting of reasonably diligent behavior by all those responsible for preparing a response to the outstanding Office action within the statutory time period. All requests must be submitted in a separate paper which will be forwarded to the CRU or TC Director for action. A request for an extension of the time period to file a petition from the denial of a request for reexamination can only be entertained by filing a petition under 37 CFR 1.183 with appropriate fee to waive the time provisions of 37 CFR 1.515(c). Since the reexamination examination process (for a reexamination request filed under 35 U.S.C. 302 and 37 CFR 1.510) is intended to be essentially ex parte, the party requesting reexamination can anticipate that requests for an extension of time to file a petition under 37 CFR 1.515(c) will be granted only in extraordinary situations.
The time period for filing a third party requester reply under 37 CFR 1.535 to the patent owner's statement (i.e., 2 months from the date of service of the statement on the third party requester) cannot be extended under any circumstances. No extensions will be permitted to the time for filing a reply under 37 CFR 1.535 by the requester because the 2-month period for filing the reply is a statutory period. 35 U.S.C. 304. It should be noted that a statutory period for response cannot be waived. See MPEP § 2251.
Ex parte prosecution will be conducted by initially setting either a 1-month or a 2-month shortened period for response, see MPEP § 2263. The patent owner also will be given a 2-month * period after the order for reexamination to file a statement >(by statute (35 U.S.C. 304 ), this period cannot be less than 2-months, even in a proceeding where the patent is being litigated)<. See 37 CFR 1.530(b). First requests for extensions of these statutory time periods will be granted for sufficient cause, and for a reasonable time specified - usually 1 month. The reasons stated in the request will be evaluated by the CRU or TC Director, and the requests will be favorably considered where there is a factual accounting of reasonably diligent behavior by all those responsible for preparing a response within the statutory time period. Second or subsequent requests for extensions of time or requests for more than 1 month will be granted only in extraordinary situations. Any request for an extension of time in a reexamination proceeding to file a notice of appeal to the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences, a brief or reply brief, or a request for reconsideration or rehearing will be considered under the provisions of 37 CFR 1.550(c). The time for filing the notice and reasons of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit or for commencing a civil action will be considered under the provisions of 37 CFR 1.304.
Form paragraph 22.04.01 may be used to notify the parties in a reexamination proceeding the extension of time practice in reexamination.
¶ 22.04.01 Extension of Time in ReexaminationExtensions of time under 37 CFR 1.136(a) will not be permitted in these proceedings because the provisions of 37 CFR 1.136 apply only to "an applicant" and not to parties in a reexamination proceeding. Additionally, 35 U.S.C. 305 requires that reexamination proceedings "will be conducted with special dispatch" ( 37 CFR 1.550(a)). Extensions of time in ex parte reexamination proceedings are provided for in 37 CFR 1.550(c).
I. FINAL ACTION - TIME FOR RESPONSE
The after-final practice in reexamination proceedings did not change on October 1, 1982 (at which time a change in practice was made for applications), and the automatic extension of time policy for response to a final rejection and associated practice are still in effect in reexamination proceedings.
The filing of a timely first response to a final rejection having a shortened statutory period for response is construed as including a request to extend the shortened statutory period for an additional month, which will be granted even if previous extensions have been granted, but in no case may the period for response exceed 6 months from the date of the final action. Even if previous extensions have been granted, the primary examiner is authorized to grant the request for extension of time which is implicit in the filing of a timely first response to a final rejection. It should be noted that the filing of any timely first response to a final rejection will be construed as including a request to extend the shortened statutory period for an additional month, even an informal response and even a response that is not signed. An object of this practice is to obviate the necessity for appeal merely to gain time to consider the examiner's position in reply to an amendment timely filed after final rejection. Accordingly, the shortened statutory period for response to a final rejection to which a proposed first response has been received will be extended 1 month. Note that the Office policy of construing a response after final as inherently including a request for a 1-month extension of time applies only to the first response to the final rejection. This automatic 1-month extension of time does not apply once the Notice of Appeal has been filed. In that instance, the patent owner will be notified that an appeal brief is due two months from the date of the notice of appeal to avoid dismissal of the appeal, and extensions of time are governed by 37 CFR 1.550(c).
It should be noted that the patent owner is entitled to know the examiner's ruling on a timely response filed after final rejection before being required to file a notice of appeal. Notification of the examiner's ruling should reach the patent owner with sufficient time for the patent owner to consider the ruling and act on it.
Normally, examiners will complete a response to an amendment after final rejection within 5 days after receipt thereof. In those situations where the advisory action cannot be mailed in sufficient time for the patent owner to consider the examiner's position with respect to the amendment after final rejection (or other patent owner paper) and act on it before termination of the prosecution of the proceeding, the granting of additional time to complete the response to the final rejection or to take other appropriate action would be appropriate. See Theodore Groz & Sohne & Ernst Bechert Nadelfabrik KG v. Quigg, 10 USPQ2d 1787 (D.D.C. 1988). The additional time should be granted by the examiner, and the time granted should be set forth in the advisory Office action. The advisory action form, Ex Parte Reexamination Advisory Action Before the Filing of an Appeal Brief (PTOL-467), states that "THE PERIOD FOR RESPONSE IS EXTENDED TO RUN ___ MONTHS FROM THE MAILING DATE OF THE FINAL REJECTION." The blank before "MONTHS" should be filled in with an integer (2, 3, 4, 5, or 6); fractional months should not be indicated. In no case can the period for reply to the final rejection be extended to exceed 6 months from the mailing date of the final rejection. An appropriate response (e.g., a second or subsequent amendment or a notice of appeal) must be filed within the extended period for response. If patent owner elects to file a second or subsequent amendment, it must place the reexamination in condition for allowance. If the amendment does not place the reexamination in condition for allowance, the prosecution of the reexamination proceeding will stand terminated under 37 CFR 1.550(d) unless an appropriate notice of appeal was filed before the expiration of the response period.
II. EXTENSIONS OF TIME TO SUBMIT AFFIDAVITS AFTER FINAL REJECTION
Frequently, patent owners request an extension of time, stating as a reason therefor that more time is needed in which to submit an affidavit. When such a request is filed after final rejection, the granting of the request for extension of time is without prejudice to the right of the examiner to question why the affidavit is now necessary and why it was not earlier presented. If the patent owner's showing is insufficient, the examiner may deny entry of the affidavit, notwithstanding the previous grant of an extension of time to submit it. The grant of an extension of time in these circumstances serves merely to keep the prosecution of the proceeding from becoming terminated while allowing the patent owner the opportunity to present the affidavit or to take other appropriate action. Moreover, prosecution of the reexamination to save it from termination must include such timely, complete and proper action as required by 37 CFR 1.113. The admission of the affidavit for purposes other than allowance of the claims, or the refusal to admit the affidavit, and any proceedings relative, thereto, shall not operate to save the prosecution of the proceeding from termination.
Implicit in the above practice is the fact that affidavits submitted after final rejection are subject to the same treatment as amendments submitted after final rejection. See In re Affidavit Filed After Final Rejection, 152 USPQ 292, 1966 C.D. 53 (Comm'r Pat. 1966).
Go to MPEP - Table of Contents