2243 Claims Considered in Deciding Request Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302 [R-07.2015]
The claims of the patent in effect at the time of the determination will be the basis for deciding whether “a substantial new question of patentability” is present. 37 CFR 1.515(a). The Office’s determination in both the order for reexamination and the examination stage of the reexamination under 35 U.S.C. 302 will generally be limited solely to a review of the claim(s) for which reexamination was requested. If the requester was interested in having all of the claims reexamined, requester had the opportunity to include them in its request for reexamination. However, if the requester chose not to do so, those claim(s) for which reexamination was not requested will generally not be reexamined by the Office. It is further noted that 35 U.S.C. 302 requires that “[t]he request must set forth the pertinency and manner of applying cited prior art to every claim for which reexamination is requested.” If the requester fails to apply the art to certain claims, then the requester is not statutorily entitled to reexamination of such claims. If a request fails to set forth the pertinency and manner of applying the cited art to any claim for which reexamination is requested as required by 37 CFR 1.510(b), that claim will generally not be reexamined. The decision to reexamine any claim for which reexamination has not been requested under 35 U.S.C. 302 lies within the sole discretion of the Office, to be exercised based on the individual facts and situation of each individual case. If the Office chooses to reexamine any claim for which reexamination has not been requested under 35 U.S.C. 302, it is permitted to do so. In addition, the Office may always initiate a reexamination on its own initiative of the non-requested claim (35 U.S.C. 303(a)). Thus, while the examiner will ordinarily concentrate on those claims for which reexamination is requested, the finding of “a substantial new question of patentability” can be based upon a claim of the patent other than the ones for which reexamination is requested, if reexamination is requested under 35 U.S.C. 302. For example, the request filed under 35 U.S.C. 302 might seek reexamination of particular claims, but the examiner is not limited to those claims and can make a determination that “a substantial new question of patentability” is present as to other claims in the patent without necessarily finding “a substantial new question” with regard to the claims for which reexamination was requested.
The decision on the request for reexamination should discuss all of the patent claims requested for reexamination. The examiner should limit the discussion of those claims in the order for reexamination as to whether a substantial new question of patentability has been raised.
See MPEP § 2242 for a discussion of patent claims which have been the subject of a prior decision.
Amendments and/or new claims presented in any copending reexamination or reissue proceeding for the patent to be reexamined will not (see MPEP § 2240, subsection II.) be considered nor commented upon when deciding a request for reexamination.
