<html><head></head><body><div class="yahoo-style-wrap" style="font-family:Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Dear List,</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Question A --> </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Suppose we (i) file the spec in .DOCX for a US non-provisional under 35 USC 111 and </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">(ii) 20 minutes after filing on the DAY of filing, we submit a preliminary amendment in PDF on the day of filing,</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">does this PDF preliminary amendment trigger the .DOCX surcharge?</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Question B [unrelated]--> hypothetically, let's say we file .DOCX without the auxiliary pdf - we would NEVER do that, but let's just say hypothetically.</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Let's assume that this patent application is a CON [parent filed in pdf format] of a published/pending US patent non-provisional application,</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">and that on page 1 of the .DOCX spec the CON parent is incorporated by reference.</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">The patent grants, and there are problems with the granted patents due to USPTO .DOCX technology issues (e.g. one of the equations is converted</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">into block symbols or otherwise downgraded). I have no AUX-PDF to save me in this situation.</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Would the incorporation-by-reference save the situation?</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Thank you,</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Bill</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div></div></body></html>