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2282    Notification of Existence of Prior or Concurrent Proceedings and Decisions Thereon  

MPEP SECTION SUMMARY

It is important for the Office to be aware of any prior or concurrent proceedings in which a patent undergoing ex parte reexamination is or was involved, such as interferences, reissues, inter partes reexaminations, other ex parte reexaminations or litigations, and any results of such proceedings.

Any proper submission pursuant to 37 CFR 1.565(a) will be promptly entered into the record of the reexamination file, and will be considered by the examiner as to its content, when the proceeding comes up for action on the merits.


(a) In an ex parte reexamination proceeding before the Office, the patent owner must inform the Office of any prior or concurrent proceedings in which the patent is or was involved such as interferences, reissues, ex parte reexaminations, inter partes reexaminations, or litigation and the results of such proceedings. See § 1.985 for notification of prior or concurrent proceedings in an inter partes reexamination proceeding.

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Thus, for example, if the patent owner properly files in a reexamination proceeding, pursuant to 37 CFR 1.565(a), an enterable paper from the discovery stage of litigation of the patent being reexamined, the paper would be entered into the reexamination file and considered by the examiner, the next time the proceeding comes up for action on the merits.

 

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