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2720 Applications Filed Between June 8, 1995, and May 28, 2000 [R-08.2017]

Former 35 U.S.C. 154   Contents and term of patent.

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  • (b) TERM EXTENSION.—
    • (1) INTERFERENCE DELAY OR SECRECY ORDERS.—If the issue of an original patent is delayed due to a proceeding under section 135(a) of this title, or because the application for patent is placed under an order pursuant to section 181 of this title, the term of the patent shall be extended for the period of delay, but in no case more than 5 years.
    • (2) EXTENSION FOR APPELLATE REVIEW. —If the issue of a patent is delayed due to appellate review by the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences or by a Federal court and the patent is issued pursuant to a decision in the review reversing an adverse determination of patentability, the term of the patent shall be extended for a period of time but in no case more than 5 years. A patent shall not be eligible for extension under this paragraph if it is subject to a terminal disclaimer due to the issue of another patent claiming subject matter that is not patentably distinct from that under appellate review.
    • (3) LIMITATIONS.—The period of extension referred to in paragraph (2)—
      • (A) shall include any period beginning on the date on which an appeal is filed under section 134 or 141 of this title, or on which an action is commenced under section 145 of this title, and ending on the date of a final decision in favor of the applicant;
      • (B) shall be reduced by any time attributable to appellate review before the expiration of 3 years from the filing date of the application for patent; and
      • (C) shall be reduced for the period of time during which the applicant for patent did not act with due diligence, as determined by the Commissioner.
    • (4) LENGTH OF EXTENSION.—The total duration of all extensions of a patent under this subsection shall not exceed 5 years.

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37 CFR 1.701  Extension of patent term due to examination delay under the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (original applications, other than designs, filed on or after June 8, 1995, and before May 29, 2000).

  • (a) A patent, other than for designs, issued on an application filed on or after June 8, 1995, is entitled to extension of the patent term if the issuance of the patent was delayed due to:
    • (1) Interference or derivation proceedings under 35 U.S.C. 135(a); and/or
    • (2) The application being placed under a secrecy order under 35 U.S.C. 181; and/or
    • (3) Appellate review by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board or by a Federal court under 35 U.S.C. 141 or 145, if the patent was issued pursuant to a decision in the review reversing an adverse determination of patentability and if the patent is not subject to a terminal disclaimer due to the issuance of another patent claiming subject matter that is not patentably distinct from that under appellate review. If an application is remanded by a panel of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and the remand is the last action by a panel of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board prior to the mailing of a notice of allowance under 35 U.S.C. 151 in the application, the remand shall be considered a decision in the review reversing an adverse determination of patentability as that phrase is used in 35 U.S.C. 154(b)(2) as amended by section 532(a) of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act, Public Law 103-465, 108 Stat. 4809, 4983-85 (1994), and a final decision in favor of the applicant under paragraph (c)(3) of this section. A remand by a panel of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board shall not be considered a decision in the review reversing an adverse determination of patentability as provided in this paragraph if there is filed a request for continued examination under 35 U.S.C. 132(b) that was not first preceded by the mailing, after such remand, of at least one of an action under 35 U.S.C. 132 or a notice of allowance under 35 U.S.C. 151.
  • (b) The term of a patent entitled to extension under paragraph (a) of this section shall be extended for the sum of the periods of delay calculated under paragraphs (c)(1), (c)(2), (c)(3) and (d) of this section, to the extent that these periods are not overlapping, up to a maximum of five years. The extension will run from the expiration date of the patent.
  • (c)
    • (1) The period of delay under paragraph (a)(1) of this section for an application is the sum of the following periods, to the extent that the periods are not overlapping:
      • (i) With respect to each interference or derivation proceeding in which the application was involved, the number of days, if any, in the period beginning on the date the interference or derivation proceeding was instituted to involve the application in the interference or derivation proceeding and ending on the date that the interference or derivation proceeding was terminated with respect to the application; and
      • (ii) The number of days, if any, in the period beginning on the date prosecution in the application was suspended by the Patent and Trademark Office due to interference or derivation proceedings under 35 U.S.C. 135(a) not involving the application and ending on the date of the termination of the suspension.
    • (2) The period of delay under paragraph (a)(2) of this section for an application is the sum of the following periods, to the extent that the periods are not overlapping:
      • (i) The number of days, if any, the application was maintained in a sealed condition under 35 U.S.C. 181;
      • (ii) The number of days, if any, in the period beginning on the date of mailing of an examiner’s answer under § 41.39 of this title in the application under secrecy order and ending on the date the secrecy order and any renewal thereof was removed;
      • (iii) The number of days, if any, in the period beginning on the date applicant was notified that an interference or derivation proceeding would be instituted but for the secrecy order and ending on the date the secrecy order and any renewal thereof was removed; and
      • (iv) The number of days, if any, in the period beginning on the date of notification under § 5.3(c) and ending on the date of mailing of the notice of allowance under § 1.311.
    • (3) The period of delay under paragraph (a)(3) of this section is the sum of the number of days, if any, in the period beginning on the date on which an appeal to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board was filed under 35 U.S.C. 134 and ending on the date of a final decision in favor of the applicant by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board or by a Federal court in an appeal under 35 U.S.C. 141 or a civil action under 35 U.S.C. 145.
  • (d) The period of delay set forth in paragraph (c)(3) shall be reduced by:
    • (1) Any time during the period of appellate review that occurred before three years from the filing date of the first national application for patent presented for examination; and
    • (2) Any time during the period of appellate review, as determined by the Director, during which the applicant for patent did not act with due diligence. In determining the due diligence of an applicant, the Director may examine the facts and circumstances of the applicant’s actions during the period of appellate review to determine whether the applicant exhibited that degree of timeliness as may reasonably be expected from, and which is ordinarily exercised by, a person during a period of appellate review.
  • (e) The provisions of this section apply only to original patents, except for design patents, issued on applications filed on or after June 8, 1995, and before May 29, 2000.

The twenty-year term of a patent issuing from an application filed on or after June 8, 1995, and before May 29, 2000, may be extended for a maximum of five years for delays in the issuance of the patent due to interferences, secrecy orders and/or successful appeals to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (Board) or the federal courts in accordance with 37 CFR 1.701. See former 35 U.S.C. 154(b), as reproduced above. Extensions for successful appeals are limited in that the patent must not be subject to a terminal disclaimer. Further, the period of extension will be reduced by any time attributable to appellate review within three years of the filing date of the first national application for patent, and the period of extension for appellate review will be reduced by any time during which the applicant did not act with due diligence. The patent term extension that may be available under 35 U.S.C. 156 for premarket regulatory review is separate from and will be added to any extension that may be available under former and current 35 U.S.C. 154. See MPEP § 2750et seq.35 U.S.C. 154(b) was amended, effective May 29, 2000, to provide for patent term adjustment for applications filed on or after May 29, 2000, but the provisions of former 35 U.S.C. 154(b), as reproduced above, continue to apply to applications filed between and including June 8, 1995 and May 28, 2000. 35 U.S.C. 154 also was amended effective September 16, 2012 and January 14, 2013.

Examiners make no decisions regarding patent term extensions. Any patent term extension granted as a result of administrative delay pursuant to 37 CFR 1.701 will be printed on the face of the patent in generally the same location as the terminal disclaimer information. The term of a patent will be readily discernible from the face of the patent (i.e., from the filing date, continuing data, issue date and any patent term extensions printed on the patent).

If applicant disagrees with the patent term extension information printed on the front page of the patent, applicant may request review by way of a petition under 37 CFR 1.181. If the petition is granted, a Certificate of Correction pursuant to 37 CFR 1.322 will be issued.

Effective May 24, 2004, 37 CFR 1.701(a)(3) was amended to indicate that certain remands by the Board shall be considered “a decision in the review reversing an adverse determination of patentability” for patent term extension purposes.

Petitions and Certificates of Correction regarding patent term extension under former 35 U.S.C. 154(b) should be addressed to Mail Stop Patent Ext., Commissioner for Patents, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450.

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Last Modified: 02/16/2023 12:58:26