美國專利第102(d)條

A person shall be entitled to a patent unless--
(d) the invention was first patented or caused to be patented, or was the subject of an inventor's certificate, by the applicant or his legal representatives or assigns in a foreign country prior to the date of the application for patent in this country on an application for patent or inventor's certificate filed more than twelve months before the filing of the application in the United States;

此條規定是規範該發明的發明人、申請人或是受讓人在別國申請的時間，重點是說，在別國已專利，且其申請日期超過美國申請日的12個月以上的發明，不能在美國獲得專利

依據M.P.E.P.中，符合102(d)的四種必要的情形，只要四個皆符合，不能獲取專利：

1. The foreign application must be filed more than 12 months before the effective U.S. filing date (MPEP § 706.02);
   
2. The foreign application must have been filed by the same applicant as in the United States or by his or her legal representatives or assigns;
3. The foreign patent or inventor's certificate must be actually granted (e.g., by sealing of the papers in Great Britain) before the U.S. filing date. It need not be published;
4. the same invention must be involved.

上述四點是說，審查委員發現，相同發明在國外申請案比美國有效申請日(effective filing date)早超過12個月，且是相同申請人或是他的法定代理人或是受讓人，且其獲得專利或是發明人證書的時間比美國申請案早，不能獲准專利，將以102(d)核駁

M.P.E.P.2135.01特別指出，在美國本土提出的CIP有自己的有效申請日，因為失去原母案申請日的好處，所以他國相同申請人的相同發明如果已專利，將可以當作引證案，以102(d)或103等理由核駁此CIP案

最後，這裡提到在美國申請日之前超過12個月的問題，主要是因為主張國外的優先權有12個月的期限，故此規定並不過分

Ron