Nonart Rejections

Nonart Rejections

核駁理由有不少是沒有引證案的
原因可能是審查委員僅提出一些有關撰寫、權利範圍上的錯誤，或是非法定、不適格的錯誤
或是在技術審查前，有些要釐清的技術或是看不懂等的問題，包括限制選擇要求，這些情況下，審查委員會發出Office Action

有一種nonart rejection是「dulplicate claiming」，重複專利的問題
也就是各權利範圍間並沒有實質技術的差異，可能差異僅在語言上寫法的差異，各權利範圍之間並沒有實質上的差異

[原文]
706.03(k) Duplicate Claims
Inasmuch as a patent is supposed to be limited to only one invention or, at most, several closely related indivisible inventions, limiting an application to a single claim, or a single claim to each of the related inventions might appear to be logical as well as convenient. However, court decisions have confirmed applicant's right to restate (i.e., by plural claiming) the invention in a reasonable number of ways. Indeed, a mere difference in scope between claims has been held to be enough.
Nevertheless, when two claims in an application are duplicates, or else are so close in content that they both cover the same thing, despite a slight difference in wording, it is proper after allowing one claim to object to the other claim under 37 CFR 1.75 as being a substantial duplicate of the allowed claim.

然而，在此情況下，若有核准範圍，仍會核准其一，而核駁另一重複項

根據37 CFR 1.75 Claim(s).
(a) The specification must conclude with a claim particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention or discovery.
(b) More than one claim may be presented provided they differ substantially from each other and are not unduly multiplied.
其中規定說明書應以權利範圍特別指出專利標的，而超過一項的範圍則彼此間應有實質上的差異，並不應過度重複

雖然，判例顯示，審查委員不應以太多範圍而認為過度重複（undue multiplicity）而提出核駁，因為申請人已經繳交超項費用，而應電話與申請人討論，選擇部份項次進行審查，甚至發出112的核駁理由，要求選擇。但審查委員理應提出核駁理由，比如這些多樣的範圍之間有重複專利的問題！

Ron
參考資料：Landis on Mechanics of Patent Claim Drafting