<div dir="ltr">As I was thinking about this today and reading a bit more, I came across a relevant Patently-O article (<a href="https://patentlyo.com/patent/2022/05/inventive-publication-another.html">https://patentlyo.com/patent/2022/05/inventive-publication-another.html</a>). In particular, the article discusses changes due to the AIA, the legal uncertainty on this issue post-AIA, and the PTO's current position that the relevant line of pre-AIA cases still applies. Perhaps of interest to those that face this question going forward.</div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Sat, Feb 17, 2024 at 9:56 AM bill--- via Patentpractice <<a href="mailto:patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com">patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div class="msg-3362783589412447953"><div lang="EN-US" style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div class="m_-3362783589412447953WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal">These type of rejections can be overcome with so-called “<i>In re Katz</i>†declarations. See MPEP 2155.01. <u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p><div style="border-width:1pt medium medium;border-style:solid none none;border-color:rgb(225,225,225) currentcolor currentcolor;padding:3pt 0in 0in"><p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> Patentpractice <<a href="mailto:patentpractice-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com" target="_blank">patentpractice-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com</a>> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Andrew Berks via Patentpractice<br><b>Sent:</b> Saturday, February 17, 2024 9:55 AM<br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:Patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com" target="_blank">Patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com</a><br><b>Cc:</b> Andrew Berks <<a href="mailto:andrew@berksiplaw.com" target="_blank">andrew@berksiplaw.com</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> [Patentpractice] Expansive MPEP Interpretation of 35 USC 102(b)(1) - not consistent with the statute; MPEP 2153.01(a)<u></u><u></u></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p><div><div><p class="MsoNormal">I got an obviousness rejection based in part on a paper published 6 months before the patent application filing date. The paper had 8 authors, 2 of whom were inventors on the patent. <u></u><u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">I asserted that the paper was not prior art based on 35 USC 102(b)(1) - a paper published less than one year before the filing date made by the inventor or joint inventor is an exception to 102(a)(1). <u></u><u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">The examiner refused to discount the paper b/c of the other authors. This is part of MPEP 2153.01(a), explaining that a disclosure is not prior art if it (1) was made one year or less before the effective filing date of the claimed invention; (2) names the inventor or a joint inventor as an author or an inventor; and (3) does not name additional persons as authors on a printed publication or joint inventors on a patent. <u></u><u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">My view is that the MPEP takes an expansive reading of the statute. The statute is silent as to the case, where as here, there are additional authors on a paper that names the inventors as authors and was published less than one year before the priority date. The MPEP reads in a requirement that is not part of the statute. Moreover, the MPEP cites no precedent for this added requirement.<u></u><u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">I'm going to make this argument on appeal to the PTAB, which is the next step in this application. <u></u><u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><br clear="all"><u></u><u></u></p><div><div><div><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" style="padding:5pt"><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black;border:1pt windowtext;padding:0in"><img width="96" height="95" style="width: 1in; height: 0.9895in;" id="m_-3362783589412447953_x0000_i1025" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/MkzCObDW8vt80IL4vhFnE2q2Yk6E1XRrUnIh-iH5fpA3c50UEoqwye4MFFM_buPF7SARR8Afz5et5bNMpGCktg0yMNLoGYajdzI_R4YSwz1qxO__ZyuPGYb0xnJOd4dPxVaN-4aHWkCvVLyoU0Z49UY"></span><u></u><u></u></p></td><td valign="top" style="padding:5pt;overflow:hidden"><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p><p style="margin:0in"><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">Andrew Berks, Ph.D., J.D.</span></b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,121,172)"> </span><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">| Partner</span></b><u></u><u></u></p><p style="margin:0in"><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">Patent Attorney and IP Licensing</span></b><u></u><u></u></p><p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">FRESH</span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(68,68,68)"> </span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(36,36,36)">IP PLC</span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(68,68,68)"> </span><u></u><u></u></p><p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(68,68,68)">28 Liberty St 6th Fl</span><u></u><u></u></p><p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">New York NY 10005 (US)</span><u></u><u></u></p><p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">Main office: 11710 Plaza America Drive, Suite 2000, Reston, VA 20190 USA<br><b>e:</b> </span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(5,99,193)"><a href="mailto:andrew@freship.com" target="_blank">andrew@freship.com</a></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(68,68,68)"> | </span><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">w: </span></b><a href="http://www.freship.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(17,85,204)">www.freship.com</span></a> <a href="https://berksiplaw.com/" target="_blank">berksiplaw.com</a><u></u><u></u></p><p style="margin:0in"><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(36,36,36)">Direct</span></b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(36,36,36)">: +1-845-558-7245</span><u></u><u></u></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p></div></div></div></div></div></div>-- <br>
Patentpractice mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:Patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com" target="_blank">Patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com</a><br>
<a href="http://oppedahl-lists.com/mailman/listinfo/patentpractice_oppedahl-lists.com" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://oppedahl-lists.com/mailman/listinfo/patentpractice_oppedahl-lists.com</a><br>
</div></blockquote></div>