PATENT FEES

35 U.S.C. 41 PATENT FEES; PATENT AND TRADEMARK SEARCH SYSTEMS.

(a) GENERAL FEES.--The Director shall charge the following fees:

(1) FILING AND BASIC NATIONAL FEES.--

(A) On filing each application for an original patent, except for design, plant, or provisional applications, $330.

(B) On filing each application for an original design patent, $220.

(C) On filing each application for an original plant patent, $220.

(D) On filing each provisional application for an original patent, $220.

(E) On filing each application for the reissue of a patent, $330.

(F) The basic national fee for each international application filed under the treaty defined in section 351(a) entering the national stage under section 371, $330.

(G) In addition, excluding any sequence listing or computer program listing filed in an electronic medium as prescribed by the Director, for any application the specification and drawings of which exceed 100 sheets of paper (or equivalent as prescribed by the Director if filed in an electronic medium), $270 for each additional 50 sheets of paper (or equivalent as prescribed by the Director if filed in an electronic medium) or fraction thereof.

(2) EXCESS CLAIMS FEES.--

(A) IN GENERAL.--In addition to the fee specified in paragraph (1)--

(i) on filing or on presentation at any other time, $220 for each claim in independent form in excess of 3;

(ii) on filing or on presentation at any other time, $52 for each claim (whether dependent or independent) in excess of 20; and

(iii) for each application containing a multiple dependent claim, $390.

(B) MULTIPLE DEPENDENT CLAIMS.--For the purpose of computing fees under subparagraph (A), a multiple dependent claim referred to in section 112 or any claim depending therefrom shall be considered as separate dependent claims in accordance with the number of claims to which reference is made.

(C) REFUNDS; ERRORS IN PAYMENT.--The Director may by regulation provide for a refund of any part of the fee specified in subparagraph (A) for any claim that is canceled before an examination on the merits, as prescribed by the Director, has been made of the application under section 131. Errors in payment of the additional fees under this paragraph may be rectified in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Director.

(3) EXAMINATION FEES.--

(A) IN GENERAL.--

(i) For examination of each application for an original patent, except for design, plant, provisional, or international applications, $220.

(ii) For examination of each application for an original design patent, $140.

(iii) For examination of each application for an original plant patent, $170.

(iv) For examination of the national stage of each international application, $220.

(v) For examination of each application for the reissue of a patent, $650.

(B) APPLICABILITY OF OTHER FEE PROVISIONS.--The provisions of paragraphs (3) and (4) of section 111(a) relating to the payment of the fee for filing the application shall apply to the payment of the fee specified in subparagraph (A) with respect to an application filed under section 111(a). The provisions of section 371(d) relating to the payment of the national fee shall apply to the payment of the fee specified in subparagraph (A) with respect to an international application.

(4) ISSUE FEES.--

(A) For issuing each original patent, except for design or plant patents, $1,510.

(B) For issuing each original design patent, $860.

(C) For issuing each original plant patent, $1,190.

(D) For issuing each reissue patent, $1,510.

(5) DISCLAIMER FEE.--On filing each disclaimer, $140.

(6) APPEAL FEES.--

(A) On filing an appeal from the examiner to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, $540.

(B) In addition, on filing a brief in support of the appeal, $540, and on requesting an oral hearing in the appeal before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, $1,080.

(7) REVIVAL FEES.--On filing each petition for the revival of an unintentionally abandoned application for a patent, for the unintentionally delayed payment of the fee for issuing each patent, or for an unintentionally delayed response by the patent owner in any reexamination proceeding, $1,620, unless the petition is filed under section 133 or 151, in which case the fee shall be $540.

(8) EXTENSION FEES.--For petitions for 1–month extensions of time to take actions required by the Director in an application--

(A) on filing a first petition, $130;

(B) on filing a second petition, $360; and

(C) on filing a third or subsequent petition, $620.

(b) MAINTENANCE FEES.--

(1) IN GENERAL.--The Director shall charge the following fees for maintaining in force all patents based on applications filed on or after December 12, 1980:

(A) Three years and 6 months after grant, $980.

(B) Seven years and 6 months after grant, $2,480.

(C) Eleven years and 6 months after grant, $4,110.

(2) GRACE PERIOD; SURCHARGE.--Unless payment of the applicable maintenance fee under paragraph (1) is received in the Office on or before the date the fee is due or within a grace period of 6 months thereafter, the patent shall expire as of the end of such grace period. The Director may require the payment of a surcharge as a condition of accepting within such 6–month grace period the payment of an applicable maintenance fee.

(3) NO MAINTENANCE FEE FOR DESIGN OR PLANT PATENT.--No fee may be established for maintaining a design or plant patent in force.

(c) DELAYS IN PAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEES.--

(1) ACCEPTANCE.--The Director may accept the payment of any maintenance fee required by subsection (b) of this section which is made within twenty-four months after the six-month grace period if the delay is shown to the satisfaction of the Director to have been unintentional, or at any time after the six-month grace period if the delay is shown to the satisfaction of the Director to have been unavoidable. The Director may require the payment of a surcharge as a condition of accepting payment of any maintenance fee after the six-month grace period. If the Director accepts payment of a maintenance fee after the six-month grace period, the patent shall be considered as not having expired at the end of the grace period.

(2) EFFECT ON RIGHTS OF OTHERS.-- A patent, the term of which has been maintained as a result of the acceptance of a payment of a maintenance fee under this subsection, shall not abridge or affect the right of any person or that person's successors in business who made, purchased, offered to sell, or used anything protected by the patent within the United States, or imported anything protected by the patent into the United States after the 6-month grace period but prior to the acceptance of a maintenance fee under this subsection, to continue the use of, to offer for sale, or to sell to others to be used, offered for sale, or sold, the specific thing so made, purchased, offered for sale, used, or imported. The court before which such matter is in question may provide for the continued manufacture, use, offer for sale, or sale of the thing made, purchased, offered for sale, or used within the United States, or imported into the United States, as specified, or for the manufacture, use, offer for sale, or sale in the United States of which substantial preparation was made after the 6-month grace period but before the acceptance of a maintenance fee under this subsection, and the court may also provide for the continued practice of any process that is practiced, or for the practice of which substantial preparation was made, after the 6-month grace period but before the acceptance of a maintenance fee under this subsection, to the extent and under such terms as the court deems equitable for the protection of investments made or business commenced after the 6-month grace period but before the acceptance of a maintenance fee under this subsection.

(d) PATENT SEARCH AND OTHER FEES.--

(1) PATENT SEARCH FEES.--

(A) IN GENERAL.--The Director shall charge the fees specified under subparagraph (B) for the search of each application for a patent, except for provisional applications. The Director shall adjust the fees charged under this paragraph to ensure that the fees recover an amount not to exceed the estimated average cost to the Office of searching applications for patent by Office personnel.

(B) SPECIFIC FEES.--The fees referred to in subparagraph (A) are--

(i) $540 for each application for an original patent, except for design, plant, provisional, or international applications;

(ii) $100 for each application for an original design patent;

(iii) $330 for each application for an original plant patent;

(iv) $540 for the national stage of each international application; and

(v) $540 for each application for the reissue of a patent.

(C) APPLICABILITY OF OTHER PROVISIONS.--The provisions of paragraphs (3) and (4) of section 111(a) relating to the payment of the fee for filing the application shall apply to the payment of the fee specified in this paragraph with respect to an application filed under section 111(a). The provisions of section 371(d) relating to the payment of the national fee shall apply to the payment of the fee specified in this paragraph with respect to an international application.

(D) REFUNDS.--The Director may by regulation provide for a refund of any part of the fee specified in this paragraph for any applicant who files a written declaration of express abandonment as prescribed by the Director before an examination has been made of the application under section 131.

(2) OTHER FEES.--

(A) IN GENERAL.--The Director shall establish fees for all other processing, services, or materials relating to patents not specified in this section to recover the estimated average cost to the Office of such processing, services, or materials, except that the Director shall charge the following fees for the following services:

(i) For recording a document affecting title, $40 per property.

(ii) For each photocopy, $.25 per page.

(iii) For each black and white copy of a patent, $3.

(B) COPIES FOR LIBRARIES.--The yearly fee for providing a library specified in section 12 with uncertified printed copies of the specifications and drawings for all patents in that year shall be $50.

(e) WAIVER OF FEES; COPIES REGARDING NOTICE.--The Director may waive the payment of any fee for any service or material related to patents in connection with an occasional or incidental request made by a department or agency of the Government, or any officer thereof. The Director may provide any applicant issued a notice under section 132 with a copy of the specifications and drawings for all patents referred to in that notice without charge.

(f) ADJUSTMENT OF FEES.--The fees established in subsections (a) and (b) of this section may be adjusted by the Director on October 1, 1992, and every year thereafter, to reflect any fluctuations occurring during the previous 12 months in the Consumer Price Index, as determined by the Secretary of Labor. Changes of less than 1 per centum may be ignored.

(g) REPEALED

(h) FEES FOR SMALL ENTITIES.--

(1) REDUCTIONS IN FEES.--Subject to paragraph (3), fees charged under subsections (a), (b), and (d)(1) shall be reduced by 50 percent with respect to their application to any small business concern as defined under section 3 of the Small Business Act, and to any independent inventor or nonprofit organization as defined in regulations issued by the Director.

(2) SURCHARGES AND OTHER FEES.--With respect to its application to any entity described in paragraph (1), any surcharge or fee charged under subsection (c) or (d) shall not be higher than the surcharge or fee required of any other entity under the same or substantially similar circumstances.

(3) REDUCTION FOR ELECTRONIC FILING.--The fee charged under subsection (a)(1)(A) shall be reduced by 75 percent with respect to its application to any entity to which paragraph (1) applies, if the application is filed by electronic means as prescribed by the Director.

(i) ELECTRONIC PATENT AND TRADEMARK DATA.--

(1) MAINTENANCE OF COLLECTIONS.--The Director shall maintain, for use by the public, paper, microform or electronic collections of United States patents, foreign patent documents, and United States trademark registrations arranged to permit search for and retrieval of information. The Director may not impose fees directly for the use of such collections, or for the use of the public patent and trademark search rooms or libraries.

(2) AVAILABILITY OF AUTOMATED SEARCH SYSTEMS.--The Director shall provide for the full deployment of the automated search systems of the Patent and Trademark Office so that such systems are available for use by the public, and shall assure full access by the public to, and dissemination of, patent and trademark information, using a variety of automated methods, including electronic bulletin boards and remote access by users to mass storage and retrieval systems.

(3) ACCESS FEES.--The Director may establish reasonable fees for access by the public to the automated search systems of the Patent and Trademark Office. If such fees are established, a limited amount of free access shall be made available to users of the systems for purposes of education and training. The Director may waive the payment by an individual of fees authorized by this subsection upon a showing of need or hardship, and if such waiver is in the public interest.

(4) ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS.--The Director shall submit to the Congress an annual report on the automated search systems of the Patent and Trademark Office and the access by the public to such systems. The Director shall also publish such report in the Federal Register. The Director shall provide an opportunity for the submission of comments by interested persons on each such report.

世界机器人大会

人：国际机器人联盟主席阿尔图罗·巴隆切里

事：世界机器人大会及世界机器人博览会

時：2015/11月23日

地：中国

物：迎接机器人时代的到来，已陆续成为各国政府的共识，美国再工业化和工业互联网战略、德国工业4.0战略、日本机器人新战略、欧洲“火花计划”、韩国机器人强国战略、新工业法国，以及中国制造2025战略，都无一例外地将发展重点瞄向机器人

摘要：

会场聚集了机器人行业“四巨头”—瑞士ABB、德国库卡、安川电机和日本发那科，这些企业占据了中国60%左右的市场。

机器人应用最广的是在汽车制造业，2013年，中国购买并组装近3.7万台工业机器人，其中外资机器人普遍以6轴或以上高端工业机器人为主，几乎垄断了汽车制造、焊接等高端行业领域，占比96%。

外国机器人已经悄无声息地打入中国境内，而且进军的领域多是产业制高点位置。相应地，国产机器人主要还是以3轴和4轴机器人为主，应用主要以搬运和上下料机器人为主，处于行业的低端领域。

Original Data:

http://news.cqnews.net/html/2015-11/24/content_35828482.htm

專利拍賣

人：鴻海集團 & 全球最大專利經紀業者ICAP(企業與專利拍賣機構的合作)

事：專利拍賣，共計釋出27項智慧財產專利(此次雙方的合作採密封拍賣的形式)

時：2015/11/19

地：全球

物：ICAP預估，未來5年內科技與跨領域企業對專利採購的潛在需求約為7兆美元（約新台幣224兆元）。

摘要：

此次釋出的專利技術多達27項，包括移動裝置、數位相機、液晶投影機及顯示器、醫療軟體、電池和充電器、導航、光學系統等領域。此次釋出專利，與智慧家庭、穿戴裝置、熱點與4G聯網相關領域都有相關。

Original Data: 

http://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20151120001083-260202

QUAYLE ACTION & WHAT COULD WE DO?

714.14   AMENDMENTS AFTER ALLOWANCE OF ALL CLAIMS [R-08.2012]

Under the decision in Ex parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 1935 C.D. 11; 453 O.G. 213 (Comm’r Pat. 1935), after all claims in an application have been allowed the prosecution of the application on the merits is closed even though there may be outstanding formal objections which preclude fully closing the prosecution.

Amendments touching the merits are treated in a manner similar to amendments after final rejection, though the prosecution may be continued as to the formal matters. See MPEP § 714.12 and § 714.13.

See MPEP § 714.20 for amendments entered in part.

See MPEP § 607 for additional fee requirements.

See MPEP § 714 for non-compliant amendments.

Use form paragraph 7.51 to issue an Ex parte Quayle action.

¶ 7.51    QUAYLE ACTION

This application is in condition for allowance except for the following formal matters: [1].

Prosecution on the merits is closed in accordance with the practice under Ex parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm’r Pat. 1935).

A shortened statutory period for reply to this action is set to expire TWO MONTHS from the mailing date of this letter.

EXAMINER NOTE:

Explain the formal matters which must be corrected in bracket 1.

37 C.F.R. 1.121   MANNER OF MAKING AMENDMENTS IN APPLICATION.

• (a) Amendments in applications, other than reissue applications. Amendments in applications, other than reissue applications, are made by filing a paper, in compliance with § 1.52, directing that specified amendments be made.
• (b) Specification. Amendments to the specification, other than the claims, computer listings (§ 1.96) and sequence listings (§ 1.825), must be made by adding, deleting or replacing a paragraph, by replacing a section, or by a substitute specification, in the manner specified in this section.
• (c) Claims. Amendments to a claim must be made by rewriting the entire claim with all changes (e.g., additions and deletions) as indicated in this subsection, except when the claim is being canceled. Each amendment document that includes a change to an existing claim, cancellation of an existing claim or addition of a new claim, must include a complete listing of all claims ever presented, including the text of all pending and withdrawn claims, in the application. The claim listing, including the text of the claims, in the amendment document will serve to replace all prior versions of the claims, in the application. In the claim listing, the status of every claim must be indicated after its claim number by using one of the following identifiers in a parenthetical expression: (Original), (Currently amended), (Canceled), (Withdrawn), (Previously presented), (New), and (Not entered).
• (d) Drawings : One or more application drawings shall be amended in the following manner: Any changes to an application drawing must be in compliance with § 1.84 and must be submitted on a replacement sheet of drawings which shall be an attachment to the amendment document and, in the top margin, labeled “Replacement Sheet”. Any replacement sheet of drawings shall include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is amended. Any new sheet of drawings containing an additional figure must be labeled in the top margin as “New Sheet”. All changes to the drawings shall be explained, in detail, in either the drawing amendment or remarks section of the amendment paper.
• (e) Disclosure consistency. The disclosure must be amended, when required by the Office, to correct inaccuracies of description and definition, and to secure substantial correspondence between the claims, the remainder of the specification, and the drawings.
• (f) No new matter. No amendment may introduce new matter into the disclosure of an application.
• (g) Exception for examiner’s amendments. Changes to the specification, including the claims, of an application made by the Office in an examiner’s amendment may be made by specific instructions to insert or delete subject matter set forth in the examiner’s amendment by identifying the precise point in the specification or the claim(s) where the insertion or deletion is to be made. Compliance with paragraphs (b)(1), (b)(2), or (c) of this section is not required.
• (h) Amendment sections. Each section of an amendment document (e.g., amendment to the claims, amendment to the specification, replacement drawings, and remarks) must begin on a separate sheet.
• (i) Amendments in reissue applications. Any amendment to the description and claims in reissue applications must be made in accordance with § 1.173.
• (j) Amendments in reexamination proceedings. Any proposed amendment to the description and claims in patents involved in reexamination proceedings must be made in accordance with § 1.530.
• (k) Amendments in provisional applications. Amendments in provisional applications are not usually made. If an amendment is made to a provisional application, however, it must comply with the provisions of this section. Any amendments to a provisional application shall be placed in the provisional application file but may not be entered.

I.    WHEN APPLICANT MAY AMEND

The applicant may amend:

• (A) ) before or after the first Office action and also after the second Office actions as specified in 37 CFR 1.112;
• (B) after final rejection, if the amendment meets the criteria of 37 CFR 1.116;
• (C) after the date of filing a notice of appeal pursuant to 37 CFR 41.31(a), if the amendment meets the criteria of 37 CFR 41.33; and
• (D) when and as specifically required by the examiner.

Amendments in provisional applications are not normally made. If an amendment is made to a provisional application, however, it must comply with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.121. Any amendments to a provisional application will be placed in the provisional application file, but may not be entered.

II.   MANNER OF MAKING AMENDMENTS UNDER 37 CFR 1.121

All amendments filed on or after July 30, 2003 must comply with 37 CFR 1.121 as revised in the notice of final rule making published in the Federal Register on June 30, 2003 at 65 Fed. Reg. 38611. The manner of making amendments has been revised to assist in the implementation of beginning-to-end electronic image processing of patent applications. Specifically, changes have been made to facilitate electronic image data capture and processing and streamline the patent application process. If an amendment filed on or after July 30, 2003 does not comply with revised 37 CFR 1.121, the Office will notify applicants via a Notice of Non-Compliant Amendment that the amendment is not accepted.

The revised amendment practice is summarized as follows.

A.   AMENDMENT SECTIONS

Each section of an amendment document (e.g., Specification Amendments, Claim Amendments, Drawing Amendments, and Remarks) must begin on a separate sheet to facilitate separate indexing and electronic scanning of each section of an amendment document for placement in an image file wrapper.

It is recommended that applicants use the following format when submitting amendment papers. The amendment papers should include, in the following order:

• (A) a cover sheet, or introductory comments, providing the appropriate application information (e.g., application number, applicant, filing date) and which serves as a table of contents to the amendment document by indicating on what page of the amendment document each of the following sections begin;
• (B) a section (must begin on a separate sheet) entitled “Amendments to the Specification” (if there are any amendments to the specification). This section should include all amendments to the specification including amendments to the abstract of the disclosure. A more detailed discussion is provided in subsection II.B. below;
• (C) a section (must begin on a separate sheet) entitled “Amendments to the Claims” which includes a complete listing of all claims ever presented in the application (if there are any amendments to the claims). A more detailed discussion is provided in subsection II.C. below;
• (D) a section (must begin on a separate sheet) entitled “Amendments to the Drawings” in which all changes to the drawings are discussed (if there are any amendments to the drawings). A more detailed discussion is provided in subsection II.D. below;
• (E) a remarks section (must begin on a separate sheet); and
• (F) any drawings being submitted including any “Replacement Sheet,” “New Sheet,” or “Annotated Sheet.”

B.   AMENDMENTS TO THE SPECIFICATION

Amendments to the specification, other than the claims, computer listings (37 CFR 1.96) and sequence listings (37 CFR 1.825), must be made by adding, deleting or replacing a paragraph, by replacing a section, or by a substitute specification. In order to delete, replace or add a paragraph to the specification of an application, the amendment must unambiguously identify the paragraph to be modified either by paragraph number (see MPEP § 608.01), page and line, or any other unambiguous method and be accompanied by any replacement or new paragraph(s). Replacement paragraphs must include markings to show the changes. A separate clean version of any replacement paragraphs is not required. Any new paragraphs must be presented in clean form without any markings (i.e., underlining).

Where paragraph numbering has been included in an application as provided in 37 CFR 1.52(b)(6), applicants can easily refer to a specific paragraph by number when presenting an amendment. If a numbered paragraph is to be replaced by a single paragraph, the added replacement paragraph should be numbered with the same number of the paragraph being replaced. Where more than one paragraph is to replace a single original paragraph, the added paragraphs should be numbered using the number of the original paragraph for the first replacement paragraph, followed by increasing decimal numbers for the second and subsequent added paragraphs, e.g., original paragraph [0071] has been replaced with paragraphs [0071], [0071.1], and [0071.2]. If a numbered paragraph is deleted, the numbering of the subsequent paragraphs should remain unchanged.

37 CFR 1.121(b)(1)(ii) requires that the full text of any replacement paragraph be provided with markings to show all the changes relative to the previous version of the paragraph. The text of any added subject matter must be shown by underlining the added text. The text of any deleted subject matter must be shown by strike-through except that double brackets placed before and after the deleted characters may be used to show the deletion of five or fewer consecutive characters (e.g., [[eroor]]). The term “brackets” set forth in 37 CFR 1.121 means square brackets – [ ], and not parentheses – ( ). The text of any deleted subject matter must be shown by being placed within double brackets if strike-through cannot be easily perceived (e.g., deletion of the number “4” must be shown as [[4]]). As an alternative to using double brackets, however, extra portions of text may be included before and after text being deleted, all in strike-through, followed by including and underlining the extra text with the desired change (e.g., number 4 as number 14 as). For added paragraphs, 37 CFR 1.121(b)(1)(iii) requires that the full text of any added paragraph(s) be presented in clean form without any underlining. Similarly, under 37 CFR 1.121(b)(1)(iv), a marked up version does not have to be supplied for any deleted paragraph(s). It is sufficient to merely indicate or identify any paragraph that has been deleted. The instruction to delete may identify a paragraph by its paragraph number, page and line number, or include a few words from the beginning, and end, or the paragraph, if needed for paragraph identification.

Applicants are also permitted to amend the specification by replacement sections (e.g., as provided in 37 CFR 1.77(b), 1.154(b), or 1.163(c)). As with replacement paragraphs, the amended version of a replacement section is required to be provided with markings to show all the changes relative to the previous version of the section. The text of any added subject matter must be shown by underlining the added text. The text of any deleted subject matter must be shown by strike-through except that double brackets placed before and after the deleted characters may be used to show the deletion of five or fewer consecutive characters. The text of any deleted subject matter must be shown by being placed within double brackets if strike-through cannot be easily perceived.

Specifically regarding amendments to the abstract of the disclosure, where the amendments to the abstract are minor in nature, the abstract should be provided as a marked-up version under 37 CFR 1.121(b)(2)(ii) using strike-through and underlining as the methods to show all changes relative to the immediate prior version. Where the abstract is being substantially rewritten and the amended abstract bears little or no resemblance to the previously filed version of the abstract, a new (substitute) abstract may be provided in clean form accompanied by an instruction for the cancellation of the previous version of the abstract. The text of the new abstract must not be underlined. It would be counterproductive for applicant to prepare and provide an abstract so riddled with strike-through and underlining that its meaning and language are obscured from view and comprehension. Whether supplying a marked-up version of a previous abstract or a clean form new abstract, the abstract must comply with 37 CFR 1.72(b) regarding the length and placement of the abstract on a separate sheet of paper.

Applicants are also permitted to amend the specification by submitting a substitute specification, provided the requirements of 37 CFR 1.125(b) and (c)are met. Under 37 CFR 1.125, a clean version of the substitute specification, a separate marked up version showing the changes in the specification relative to the previous version, and a statement that the substitute specification contains no new matter are required.

Any previously deleted paragraph or section can only be reinstated by a subsequent amendment presenting the previously deleted subject matter. A direction by applicant to remove a previously entered amendment will not be permitted.

C.   AMENDMENTS TO THE CLAIMS

Each amendment document that includes a change to an existing claim, including the deletion of an existing claim, or submission of a new claim, must include a complete listing of all claims ever presented (including previously canceled and non-entered claims) in the application. After each claim number, the status identifier of the claim must be presented in a parenthetical expression, and the text of each claim under examination as well as all withdrawn claims (each with markings if any, to show current changes) must be presented. The listing will serve to replace all prior versions of the claims in the application.

• (A) Status Identifiers: The current status of all of the claims in the application, including any previously canceled or withdrawn claims, must be given. Status is indicated in a parenthetical expression following the claim number by one of the following status identifiers: (original), (currently amended), (previously presented), (canceled), (withdrawn), (new), or (not entered). The status identifier (withdrawn – currently amended) is also acceptable for a withdrawn claim that is being currently amended. See paragraph (E) below for acceptable alternative status identifiers.
  Claims added by a preliminary amendment must have the status identifier (new) instead of (original), even when the preliminary amendment is present on the filing date of the application and such claim is treated as part of the original disclosure. If applicant files a subsequent amendment, applicant must use the status identifier (previously presented) if the claims are not being amended, or (currently amended) if the claims are being amended, in the subsequent amendment. Claims that are canceled by a preliminary amendment that is present on the filing date of the application are required to be listed and must have the status identifier (canceled) in the preliminary amendment and in any subsequent amendment.
  The status identifier (not entered) is used for claims that were previously proposed in an amendment (e.g., after-final) that was denied entry.
  In an amendment submitted in a U.S. national stage application, claims that were present on the international filing date or rectified pursuant to PCT Rule 91 must have the status identifier (original); claims that were amended or added under PCT Article 19 or 34 with effect in the U.S. national stage application must have the status identifier (previously presented); and claims that were canceled pursuant to PCT Article 19 or 34 with effect in the U.S. national stage application must have the status identifier (canceled). If the amendment submitted in the U.S. national stage application is making a change in a claim, the status identifier (currently amended) must be used for that claim.
  For any amendment being filed in response to a restriction or election of species requirement and any subsequent amendment, any claims which are non-elected must have the status identifier (withdrawn). Any non-elected claims which are being amended must have either the status identifier (withdrawn) or (withdrawn – currently amended) and the text of the non-elected claims must be presented with markings to indicate the changes. Any non-elected claims that are being canceled must have the status identifier (canceled).
• (B) Markings to Show the Changes: All claims being currently amended must be presented with markings to indicate the changes that have been made relative to the immediate prior version. The changes in any amended claim must be shown by strike-through (for deleted matter) or underlining (for added matter) with 2 exceptions: (1) for deletion of five or fewer consecutive characters, double brackets may be used (e.g., [[eroor]]); (2) if strike-through cannot be easily perceived (e.g., deletion of number “4” or certain punctuation marks), double brackets must be used (e.g., [[4]]). As an alternative to using double brackets, however, extra portions of text may be included before and after text being deleted, all in strike-through, followed by including and underlining the extra text with the desired change (e.g., number 4 as number 14 as ). An accompanying clean version is not required and should not be presented. Only claims of the status “currently amended” or “withdrawn” will include markings.
  Any claims added by amendment must be indicated as “new” and the text of the claim must not be underlined.
• (C) Claim Text: The text of all pending claims under examination and withdrawn claims must be submitted each time any claim is amended. The text of pending claims not being currently amended, including withdrawn claims, must be presented in clean version, i.e., without any markings. Any claim presented in clean version will constitute an assertion that it has not been changed relative to the immediate prior version except to omit markings that may have been present in the immediate prior version of the claims. A claim being canceled must be indicated as “canceled;” the text of the claim must not be presented. Providing an instruction to cancel is optional. Canceled and not entered claims must be listed by only the claim number and status identifier, without presenting the text of the claims. When applicant submits the text of canceled or not-entered claims in the amendment, the Office may accept such an amendment, if the amendment otherwise complies with 37 CFR 1.121, instead of sending out a notice of non-compliant amendment to reduce the processing time.
• (D) Claim Numbering: All of the claims in each amendment paper must be presented in ascending numerical order. Consecutive canceled or not entered claims may be aggregated into one statement (e.g., Claims 1 – 5 (canceled)).

A canceled claim can be reinstated only by a subsequent amendment presenting the claim as a new claim with a new claim number. The original numbering of the claims must be preserved throughout the prosecution. When claims are canceled, the remaining claims must not be renumbered. For example, when applicant cancels all of the claims in the original specification and adds a new set of claims, the claim listing must include all of the canceled claims with the status identifier (canceled) (the canceled claims may be aggregated into one statement). The new claims must be numbered consecutively beginning with the number next following the highest numbered claim previously presented (whether entered or not) in compliance with37 CFR 1.126.

Example of listing of claims:

Claims 1-5 (canceled)

Claim 6 (withdrawn): A process for molding a bucket.

Claim 7 (previously presented): A bucket with a handle.

Claim 8 (currently amended): A bucket with a green blue handle.

Claim 9 (withdrawn): The process for molding a bucket of claim 6 using molten plastic material.

Claim 10 (original): The bucket of claim 8 with a wooden handle.

Claim 11 (canceled)

Claim 12 (previously presented): A bucket having a circumferential upper lip.

Claim 13 (not entered)

Claim 14 (new): A bucket with plastic sides and bottom.

• (E) Acceptable Alternative Status Identifiers : To prevent delays in prosecution, the Office will waive certain provisions of 37 CFR 1.121 and accept alternative status identifiers not specifically set forth in 37 CFR 1.121(c). See Acceptance of Certain Non-Compliant Amendments Under 37 CFR 1.121(c), O.G. (July 5, 2005). Accordingly claim listings that include alternative status identifiers as set forth below may be accepted if the amendment otherwise complies with 37 CFR 1.121.

Status Identifiers Set Forth in 37 CFR 1.121(c)	Acceptable Alternatives
1. Original	Original Claim; and Originally Filed Claim
2. Currently amended	Presently amended; and Currently amended claim
3. Canceled	Canceled without prejudice; Cancel; Canceled; Canceled herein; Previously canceled; Canceled claim; and Deleted
4. Withdrawn	Withdrawn from consideration; Withdrawn – new; Withdrawn claim; and Withdrawn – currently amended
5. Previously presented	Previously amended; Previously added; Previously submitted; and Previously presented claim
6. New	Newly added; and New claim
7. Not entered	Not entered claim

The Office may also accept additional variations of the status identifiers provided in 37 CFR 1.121(c) not listed above if an Office personnel determines that the status of the claims is accurate and clear. When accepting alternative status identifiers, the examiner is not required to correct the status identifiers using an examiner’s amendment. Applicant will not be notified and will not be required to submit a corrective compliant amendment. The examiner does not need to make a statement on the record that the alternative status identifiers have been accepted.

D.   AMENDMENTS TO THE DRAWING

E.   EXAMINER’S AMENDMENTS

F.   NON-COMPLIANT AMENDMENTS

If an amendment submitted on or after July 30, 2003, fails to comply with 37 CFR 1.121 (as revised on June 30, 2003), the Office will notify applicant by a Notice of Non-Compliant Amendment, Form PTOL-324, that the amendment fails to comply with the requirements of 37 CFR 1.121 and identify: (1) which section of the amendment is non-compliant (e.g., the amendments to the claims section); (2) items that are required for compliance (e.g., a claim listing in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(c)); and (3) the reasons why the section of the amendment fails to comply with 37 CFR 1.121 (e.g., the status identifiers are missing). The type of amendment will determine whether applicant will be given a period of time in which to comply with the rule and whether applicant’s reply to a notice should consist of the corrected section of the amendment (e.g., a complete claim listing in compliance of 37 CFR 1.121(c)) instead of the entire corrected amendment. If the noncompliant amendment is:

• (A) A preliminary amendment filed after the filing date of the application , the technical support staff (TSS) will send the notice which sets a time period of 30 days or one month, whichever is later, for reply. No extensions of time are permitted. Failure to submit a timely reply will result in the application being examined without entry of the preliminary amendment. Applicant’s reply is required to include the corrected section of the amendment.
• (B) A preliminary amendment that is present on the filing date of the application , the Office of Patent Application Processing (OPAP) will send applicant a notice (e.g., Notice to File Corrected Application Papers) which sets a time period of 2 months for reply. Extensions of time are available under 37 CFR 1.136(a). Failure to reply to the (OPAP) notice will result in abandonment of the application. Applicant’s reply is required to include either a substitute specification under 37 CFR 1.125 if the amendment is to the specification, or a complete claim listing under 37 CFR 1.121(c) if the amendment is to the claims.
• (C) A non-final amendment including an amendment filed as a submission for an RCE, the TSS will send the notice which sets a time period of 30 days or one month, whichever is later, for reply. Extensions of time are available under 37 CFR 1.136(a). Failure to reply to this notice will result in abandonment of the application. Applicant’s reply is required to include the corrected section of the amendment.
• (D) An after-final amendment , the amendment will be forwarded in unentered status to the examiner. In addition to providing reasons for non-entry when the amendment is not in compliance with 37 CFR 1.116 (e.g., the proposed amendment raises new issues that would require further consideration and/or search), the examiner should also indicate in the advisory action any non-compliance in the after-final amendment. The examiner should attach a Notice of Non-Compliant Amendment to the advisory action. The notice provides no new time period for correcting the non-compliance. The time period for reply continues to run from the mailing of the final Office action. Applicant still needs to respond to the final Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. If the applicant wishes to file another after-final amendment, the entire corrected amendment (not only the corrected section of the amendment) must be submitted within the time period set forth in the final Office action.
• (E) A supplemental amendment filed when there is no suspension of action under 37 CFR 1.103(a) or (c), the amendment will be forwarded to the examiner. Such a supplemental amendment is not entered as a matter of right. See 37 CFR 1.111(a)(2)(ii). The examiner will notify the applicant if the amendment is not approved for entry. The examiner may use form paragraph 7.147. See MPEP § 714.03(a).
• (F) A supplemental amendment filed within a suspension period under 37 CFR 1.103(a) or (c) (e.g., applicant requested a suspension of action at the time of filing an RCE), the TSS will send the notice which sets a time period of 30 days or one month, whichever is later, for reply. No extensions of time are permitted. Failure to submit a timely reply will result in the application being examined without entry of the supplemental amendment. Applicant’s reply is required to include the corrected section of the amendment.
• (G) An amendment filed in response to a Quayle action , the TSS will send the notice which sets a time period of 30 days or one month, whichever is later, for reply. Extensions of time are available under 37 CFR 1.136(a). Failure to reply to this notice will result in abandonment of the application. Applicant’s reply is required to include the corrected section of the amendment.
• (H) An after-allowance amendment under 37 CFR 1.312, the amendment will be forwarded to the examiner. Amendments under 37 CFR 1.312 are not entered as matter of right. The examiner will notify the applicant if the amendment is not approved for entry. The examiner may attach a Notice of Non-Compliant Amendment (37 CFR 1.121) to the form PTO-271, Response to Rule 312 Communication (see MPEP § 714.16(d)). The notice provides no new time period. If applicant wishes to file another after-allowance amendment under 37 CFR 1.312, the entire corrected amendment must be submitted before the payment of the issue fee.

Any amendments (including after-final amendments) that add new claims in excess of the number of claims previously paid for in an application must be accompanied by the payment of the required excess claims fees. Failure to pay the excess claims fees will result in non-entry of the amendment. SeeMPEP § 607.