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<p class="MsoNormal">Justin,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I have had success with petitions to withdraw finality, particularly when my arguments fall within the requirements of the MPEP, i.e., the new rejection was clearly not necessitated by the amendments.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In cases like this, you certainly should decide how to respond and perhaps have an interview with the examiner. But any amendments to overcome the prior art will almost certainly result in the necessity of filing an RCE. I don\u2019t understand
the appeal or abandon mentality. If claims have not been amended or evidence considered, RCE is the route you must take to put the case in better form for appeal.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Roger L. Browdy<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Partner <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:7.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#17479E">_____________________________________________ <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#17479E">FisherBroyles, LLP<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#17479E">direct: +1 202-277-5198<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#17479E"><a href="mailto:roger.browdy@fisherbroyles.com"><span style="color:#467886">roger.browdy@fisherbroyles.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica Light";color:#17479E"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Patentpractice <patentpractice-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Justin Miller via Patentpractice<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, September 12, 2025 2:22 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> For patent practitioners. This is not for laypersons to seek legal advice. <patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com><br>
<b>Cc:</b> Justin Miller <justin@distinctpatentlaw.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [External Sender][Patentpractice] Office action made final despite new grounds of rejection<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">All,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">I am working on a utility patent application for a medical device. Received a first office action with prior art rejections. I made minor claim amendments, had an interview with the examiner, who
stated that the application appeared allowable.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">But I just received a final office action based on new prior art references.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">In the final office action, the examiner states that the action is properly final because the new grounds of rejection were necessitated by the amendments. That seems to be a stretch to me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Has anyone had any luck contesting finality? I have read
<a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__mpep.uspto.gov_RDMS_MPEP_current-23_current_d0e69118.html&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=7yDyUE5lzuruhwIvS68v9eFQKnrJuSrXb1MxDfvR_V8&m=jKQ2QYx46wVv-Df3pfjF7FfFEKhyNC37_wS0Gf0yVuqV-1gNZoD9jFZqliWr4FHX&s=00GtQ3kEip7Dup5mBRdOJOwd-6_gkj4ea-wlo8So9Fw&e=">
MPEP 706.07(a)</a>, but it seems unclear as to when the new ground of rejection is "necessitated by applicant\u2019s amendment of the claims".<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">My suspicion is that while it is possible to fight the finality of the office action, it is probably cheaper to file an RCE.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">As the bonus question, I welcome any strategies when receiving a final office action. In my experience, when I receive two rejections from the same examiner, given that I always participate in an
interview, it is often either time to abandon or appeal. But given that this rejection is substantively different I think a round of negotiation might be helpful. Perhaps I can squeeze in another interview before I respond.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Interesting stats (page is slow to load):<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif"><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.bipc.com_us-2Dpatent-2Dpractice-2Dresponding-2Dto-2Dfinal-2Drejections-2Dso-2Das-2Dto-2Dminimize-2Dthe-2Dneed-2Dfor-2Drce-2Dfilings&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=7yDyUE5lzuruhwIvS68v9eFQKnrJuSrXb1MxDfvR_V8&m=jKQ2QYx46wVv-Df3pfjF7FfFEKhyNC37_wS0Gf0yVuqV-1gNZoD9jFZqliWr4FHX&s=mJZmkhzxhY4QCMoRKxQTMVBMojbAX51ZaVoSLrxm7xA&e=">https://www.bipc.com/us-patent-practice-responding-to-final-rejections-so-as-to-minimize-the-need-for-rce-filings</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Thanks for reading.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#222222">Sincerely,</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#222222">Justin P. Miller</span><span style="color:#222222"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#222222">Patent Attorney</span><span style="color:#222222"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#222222">Distinct Patent Law</span><span style="color:#222222"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#222222"><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__distinctpatentlaw.com_&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=7yDyUE5lzuruhwIvS68v9eFQKnrJuSrXb1MxDfvR_V8&m=jKQ2QYx46wVv-Df3pfjF7FfFEKhyNC37_wS0Gf0yVuqV-1gNZoD9jFZqliWr4FHX&s=XhHQin4yLav2kv5bTqBRSYKyYoiM_eu6zSbpMwyULfs&e=" target="_blank"><span style="color:#1155CC">https://distinctpatentlaw.com/</span></a></span><span style="color:#222222"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#222222">Office: 727.513.4590</span><span style="color:#222222"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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