MPEP Chapter 2600 — Inter partes review

Chapter 2600 of the USPTO Manual of Patent Examining Procedure covers inter partes review. It runs to 85 file-level sections and 36 subsections, of which 77 carry substantive text and 8 are marked [Reserved]. 76 of its sections are annotated as structured data, exposing 3 statutes and regulations and 0 cited decisions.

Sections in this chapter

§ 2601Introduction
- § 2601.01Flowcharts
§ 2602Citation of Prior Art
§ 2609Inter Partes Reexamination
§ 2610Request for Inter Partes Reexamination
§ 2611Time for Requesting Inter Partes Reexamination
§ 2612Persons Who May File a Request
§ 2613Representative of Requester
§ 2614Content of Request for Inter Partes Reexamination
§ 2615Fee for Requesting Inter Partes Reexamination
§ 2616Substantial New Question of Patentability/Reasonable Likelihood That Requester Will Prevail
§ 2617Statement in the Request Applying Prior Art
§ 2618Copies of Prior Art (Patents and Printed Publications)
§ 2619Copy of Printed Patent
§ 2620Certificate of Service
§ 2621[Reserved]
§ 2622Address of Patent Owner
§ 2623Withdrawal of Attorney or Agent
§ 2624Correspondence
§ 2625Untimely Paper Filed Prior to First Office Action
§ 2626Initial Processing of Request for Inter Partes Reexamination
§ 2627Incomplete Request for Inter Partes Reexamination
§ 2628[Reserved]
§ 2629Notice of Request for Inter Partes Reexamination in Official Gazette
§ 2630Constructive Notice to Patent Owner
§ 2631Processing of Request Corrections
§ 2632Public Access
- § 2632.01Determining If a Reexamination Request Was Filed for a Patent
§ 2633[Reserved]
§ 2634Fee Processing and Procedure
§ 2635Record Systems
§ 2636Assignment of Reexamination
§ 2637[Reserved]
§ 2638Time Reporting
§ 2639[Reserved]
§ 2640Decision on Request
§ 2641Time for Deciding Request
§ 2642Criteria for Deciding Request
§ 2643Claims Considered in Deciding Request
§ 2644Prior Art on Which the Determination Is Based
§ 2645[Reserved]
§ 2646Decision Ordering Reexamination
§ 2647Decision Denying Reexamination
- § 2647.01Examples of Decisions on Requests
- § 2647.02Processing of Decision
§ 2648Petition From Denial of Request
§ 2654Conduct of Inter Partes Reexamination Proceedings
§ 2655Who Reexamines
§ 2656Prior Art Patents and Printed Publications Reviewed by Examiner in Reexamination
§ 2657Listing of Prior Art
§ 2658Scope of Inter Partes Reexamination
§ 2659Res Judicata and Collateral Estoppel in Reexamination Proceedings
§ 2660First Office Action
- § 2660.01[Reserved]
- § 2660.02The Title
- § 2660.03Dependent Claims
§ 2661Special Status for Action
§ 2662Time for Response and Comments
§ 2663[Reserved]
§ 2664Mailing of Office Action
§ 2665Extension of Time for Patent Owner Response
§ 2666Patent Owner Response to Office Action
- § 2666.01Amendment by Patent Owner
- § 2666.02Correction of Patent Drawings
- § 2666.03Correction of Inventorship
- § 2666.04Fees for Adding Claims
- § 2666.05Third Party Comments After Patent Owner Response
- § 2666.06Service of Papers
- § 2666.10Patent Owner Does Not Respond to Office Action
- § 2666.11- 2666.19 [Reserved]
- § 2666.20Third Party Does Not Comment After Patent Owner Response
- § 2666.21- 2666.29 [Reserved]
- § 2666.30Submission Not Fully Responsive to Non-final Office Action
- § 2666.31- 2666.39 [Reserved]
- § 2666.40Patent Owner Completion of Response and Third Party Comments Thereon
- § 2666.50Examiner Issues Notice of Defective Paper in Inter Partes Reexamination
- § 2666.60Response by Patent Owner/Third Party to Notice of Defective Paper
§ 2667Handling of Inappropriate or Untimely Filed Papers
§ 2668Petition for Entry of Late Papers for Revival of Reexamination Proceeding
§ 2669[Reserved]
§ 2670Clerical Handling
§ 2671Examiner Action Following Response/Comments or Expiration of Time for Same
- § 2671.01Examiner Issues Action on Merits That Does Not Close Prosecution
- § 2671.02Examiner Issues Action Closing Prosecution (ACP)
- § 2671.03Panel Review
§ 2672Patent Owner Comments/Amendment After ACP and Third Party Requester Responsive Comments
§ 2673Examiner Consideration of Submissions After ACP and Further Action
- § 2673.01Reopening Prosecution After ACP
- § 2673.02Examiner Issues Right of Appeal Notice (RAN)
§ 2674Appeal in Inter Partes Reexamination
- § 2674.01Cross Appeal After Original Appeal
§ 2675Appellant Brief
- § 2675.01Respondent Brief
- § 2675.02Informalities in One or More of the Briefs
§ 2676Appeal Conference
§ 2677Examiner’s Answer
§ 2678Rebuttal Briefs
§ 2679Office Treatment of Rebuttal Brief
§ 2680Oral Hearing
§ 2681Board Decision
§ 2682Action Following Decision
§ 2683Appeal to Courts
§ 2684Information Material to Patentability in Reexamination Proceeding
§ 2685No Interviews on Merits in Inter Partes Reexamination Proceedings
§ 2686Notification of Existence of Prior or Concurrent Proceedings and Decisions Thereon
- § 2686.01Multiple Copending Reexamination Proceedings
- § 2686.02Copending Reexamination and Interference Proceedings
- § 2686.03Copending Reexamination and Reissue Proceedings
- § 2686.04Reexamination and Litigation Proceedings
- § 2686.05Reexamination and Inter Partes Review Proceedings, Post-Grant Review, and Covered Business Method Patent Review
§ 2687Notice of Intent to Issue Inter Partes Reexamination Certificate (NIRC) and Conclusion of Reexamination Proceeding
- § 2687.01Examiner Consideration of Submissions After NIRC
§ 2688Issuance of Inter Partes Reexamination Certificate
§ 2689Reexamination Review
§ 2690Format of Inter Partes Reexamination Certificate
§ 2691Notice of Inter Partes Reexamination Certificate Issuance in Official Gazette
§ 2692Distribution of Certificate
§ 2693Intervening Rights
§ 2694Concluded Reexamination Proceedings
§ 2695Reexamination of a Reexamination
§ 2696USPTO Forms To Be Used in Inter Partes Reexamination