Eric Waltmire's Blog » USPTO News http://www.waltmire.com/blog Patent Law :: Focusing on Software and Electronic Arts Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:02:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 en New Pilot Project: Pre-First Action Interview as of Right http://www.waltmire.com/blog/archives/2008/04/16/new-pilot-project-pre-first-action-interview-as-of-right/ http://www.waltmire.com/blog/archives/2008/04/16/new-pilot-project-pre-first-action-interview-as-of-right/#comments Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:23:01 +0000 Eric Waltmire http://www.waltmire.com/blog/archives/2008/04/16/new-pilot-project-pre-first-action-interview-as-of-right/ USPTOThe USPTO announced that it is launching a program to allow an Examiner interview before first action. Here’s the process. First the applicant requests a first-action interview. The examiner conducts a prior art search and provides the applicant a pre-interview communication. This is a condensed preview of objections or rejections proposed against the claims. Then, within 30 days, the applicant must either elect (1) not to have a first action interview with the Examiner, or (2) to schedule the interview and file a proposed amendment and/or remarks.

The pilot only applies to applications classified in Class 709 (electrical computers and digital processing systems: multi-computer data transferring) and applications in Class 707 (data processing: database and file management or data structures.

In all other cases, MPEP 713.02 applies to allow pre-examination interviews at the descretion of the Examiner.

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