（AIA）補充審查（supplemental examination），這是提供給專利權人本身的方案，第三方不得加入。當專利欲進入訴訟時，專利權人可以透過此方案確保專利權的穩定，甚至可以透過此程序修改權利範圍，因此可以自己補充先前技術文獻作為再次審理的依據。適用可專利性法條：101, 102, 103, 112。
範例討論：
從一件補充審查案例No.96/000,101來看這個制度。
本案資訊：
Control No. : 96/000,101
申請日：Jul. 16, 2015
Certificate : Sep. 10, 2015
專利號：US 7,357,048
本案申請人於2015/07/16對2008年領證的US7357048提出「補充審查（supplemental examination）」請求，申請人同時提出先前文獻（規定不得超過12件），此案包括美國與JP專利文獻：
USPTO會針對申請提出資料判斷「SNQ（Substantial New Question）」，判斷是否產生了關於專利性的重要新問題，才會進入補充審查程序。（編按，顯然SNQ是對專利性的"威脅"，申請人在此程序中心態上自然是"有信心又嚴格地"面對自己專利的專利性，如果這時申請人還"躲躲藏藏"也很奇怪...！）
USPTO確實得到一些原本審查程序中並未考量到的先前技術：
本案中，USPTO於2015/09/10回應接收補充審查請求：
（2015/09/30）對USPTO而言，補充審查就如對自己專利提出Ex Parte Reexamation的程序，審查委員也會提出自己的檢索報告，然後作出審查意見，OA顯示本案Claims 1-7全數被核駁，包括102、103議題，甚至還有112核駁意見。
審查期間，申請人也與審查委員面詢，提交答辯意見與修正/新增申請專利範圍（2016/01/26）。
（2016/04/15）還收到Final Office Action，仍涵蓋112/102/103各項專利性議題。（編按，申請人在此時可能會...有點...點點點吧！）
（2016/12/22）申請人似乎放棄答辯，USPTO在2016/12/22發出再審意見書的先前通知「Notice of Intent to Issue a Reexam Certificate」，再於隔年2017/01/09發出「Reexam Certificate Issued under 35 USC 257」。
my two cents:
這件主動提出補充審查的專利原本用意是想要確保專利權後對他人主張權利，卻因此反而被撤銷專利權，...看似很笨的舉動卻也可能讓申請人免於耗時耗成本的訴訟，只好這樣"正面思考"。
"the cancellation of any claims found to be invalid under section 307 as a result of a reexamination ordered under this section..."
在補充審查期間，USPTO也曾調查此專利的訴訟狀態，答案是NO。
[補充審查法條]
35 U.S.C. 257 SUPPLEMENTAL EXAMINATIONS TO CONSIDER, RECONSIDER, OR CORRECT INFORMATION.
- (a) REQUEST FOR SUPPLEMENTAL EXAMINATION.—A patent owner may request supplemental examination of a patent in the Office to consider, reconsider, or correct information believed to be relevant to the patent, in accordance with such requirements as the Director may establish. Within 3 months after the date a request for supplemental examination meeting the requirements of this section is received, the Director shall conduct the supplemental examination and shall conclude such examination by issuing a certificate indicating whether the information presented in the request raises a substantial new question of patentability.
- (b) REEXAMINATION ORDERED.—If the certificate issued under subsection (a) indicates that a substantial new question of patentability is raised by 1 or more items of information in the request, the Director shall order reexamination of the patent. The reexamination shall be conducted according to procedures established by chapter 30, except that the patent owner shall not have the right to file a statement pursuant to section 304. During the reexamination, the Director shall address each substantial new question of patentability identified during the supplemental examination, notwithstanding the limitations in chapter 30 relating to patents and printed publication or any other provision of such chapter.
- (c) EFFECT.—
- ...
No.96/000,101部分審查檔案備份：https://app.box.com/s/i4eg3xfrsbwdhmhy9bhryjeybb01zhdc
Ron
沒有留言:
張貼留言