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Your U.S. application can claim priority to the PCT application under the Paris Convention, but only if the U.S. application is filed within
<b><i>12 months</i></b> of the filing date of the PCT application. If the U.S. application is filed more than 12 months after the PCT application, then you must claim priority under 35 USC 120, which requires that the applications be copending—i.e., the PCT
application cannot be abandoned or withdrawn when you file the U.S. application.</div>
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<div id="divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size:11pt" color="#000000"><b>From:</b> Pct <pct-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com> on behalf of Andrew Berks via Pct <pct@oppedahl-lists.com><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, May 22, 2024 2:54 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> for users of the Patent Cooperation Treaty <pct@oppedahl-lists.com><br>
<b>Cc:</b> Andrew Berks <andrew@freship.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Pct] Priority Claim to Withdrawn PCT Application</font>
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<div dir="ltr">Further to my message from earlier today, the remarks from Roger Browdy prompted me to dig a little deeper and I found PCT Applicant's Guide para. 6.009: ... an international application which fulfills the requirements necessary for it to be
accorded an international filing date<b> may be invoked as a priority application under the Paris Convention</b> for the Protection of Industrial Property (if the conditions laid down by that Convention are fulfilled)
<b>even where the international application is considered withdrawn</b> under the PCT (for non-payment of fees or other reasons). [Emphasis added]. See also PCT Art. 11(4): Any international application fulfilling the requirements listed in items (i) to (iii)
of paragraph (1) [containing all parts of a patent application] shall be equivalent to a regular national filing within the meaning of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property. This provision makes no mention of the effect of withdrawal.
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<div>So I think I am good with a priority claim to a withdrawn PCT patent application. This confirms the answer to my question 1 is "yes."</div>
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<div>This also points up a sneaky poor man's provisional filing - file a PCT case and don't pay the fees. If the patent application meets the requirements of PCT Art. 11(1) items (i) to (iii), then under the Paris Convention, such a case can be used as a priority
filing. However, I will not recommend doing that. </div>
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<div>Re: my question 2, I see that PCT Art. 48 addresses delays in meeting time limits but it does not provide a general excuse where there is no force majeure, communications failure, etc. So a dispute with a receiving office is still a problem. </div>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><font color="#222222"><b>Andrew H. Berks, Ph.D., J.D.</b></font></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><font color="#222222">Partner, Fresh IP PLC</font></p>
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<div dir="ltr" class="x_gmail_attr">On Wed, May 22, 2024 at 1:00 PM Andrew Berks <<a href="mailto:andrew@freship.com" target="_blank">andrew@freship.com</a>> wrote:<br>
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<div dir="ltr">I previously posted on this list in Nov. 2023 that a PCT application I filed at the US RO was declared "withdrawn" over a misunderstanding about fees. After three petitions to resolve this problem, the USPTO is refusing to budge, and at this
point I am up against the clock with the 30-month deadline coming up on Sept. 30, 2024. In order keep as many rights as possible, I filed a new PCT patent application in 2024 claiming priority to the withdrawn PCT case that was filed one year before.
<br>
<br>
Two questions for this list:<br>
1. Valid priority claim - is a withdrawn patent application a "regular national filing" giving rise to a right of priority?<br>
The 2024 PCT application claims priority to the "withdrawn" PCT application. I believe this is a valid priority claim in view of the Paris Convention Art. 4, providing that a priority claim can be made to an earlier patent application ("a regular national filing")
“whatever may be the subsequent fate of the application.” So the concern is that a withdrawn patent application is no longer a "regular national filing." I note however that ePCT found the withdrawn case and allowed the filing to proceed. I think the answer
to my question above is "yes."<br>
<br>
2. Can the 30-month deadline be tolled? If I continue this fight, either with additional petitions or suing in the Federal Circuit, this fight could easily blow past the 30 month deadline. Is it still possible to make national phase filings? I am not aware
of any way to toll this deadline.<br>
<br>
Thanks for any comments. <br clear="all">
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><font color="#222222"><b>Andrew H. Berks, Ph.D., J.D.</b></font></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><font color="#222222">Partner, Fresh IP PLC</font></p>
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