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>[10.aug.07]
Patents - USPTO
Proposes Measure to Improve Patent Quality
Source: USPTO
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
is proposing new rules in the Federal Register that
will improve an examiner's ability to focus the examination
process for claims that contain more than one independent
and distinct invention.
The proposed rules focus
on the current practice of listing multiple inventions
in the alternative in a single claim. Such "multi-invention
alternative" claims are especially prevalent in
the pharmaceutical, chemical, and biotechnology fields.
The USPTO is proposing rules that would require applicants
to identify, with more specificity, the claimed invention
to be examined, thus promoting examination quality.
These proposed
rules are in addition to the final rules pertaining
to claims, which are expected to be published in the
Federal Register later this month and are part of the
USPTO's ongoing effort to ensure patent quality, foster
the examination process, and reduce pendency.
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