Ex parte DEMASTER et al. - Page 20




          Appeal No. 97-1398                                                          
          Application 08/295,225                                                      


          Nowicki cassette satisfies all of the limitations of claim 3.  We           
          leave it to the examiner to determine whether any other claims              
          are anticipated by or obvious over Nowicki.                                 
               In addition to affirming the examiner’s rejection of one or            
          more claims, this decision contains a new ground of rejection               
          pursuant to 37 CFR § 1.196(b)(amended effective Dec. 1, 1997, by            
          final rule notice, 62 Fed. Reg. 53,131, 53,197 (Oct. 10, 1997),             
          1203 Off. Gaz. Pat. & Trademark Office 63, 122 (Oct. 21, 1997)).            
          37 CFR § 1.196(b) provides, “A new ground of rejection shall not            
          be considered final for purposes of judicial review.”                       
               Regarding any affirmed rejection, 37 CFR § 1.197(b)                    
          provides:                                                                   
               (b) Appellant may file a single request for rehearing                  
               within two months from the date of the original                        
               decision . . . .                                                       
               37 CFR § 1.196(b) also provides that the appellants, WITHIN            
          TWO MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF THE DECISION, must exercise one of              
          the following two options with respect to the new ground of                 
          rejection to avoid termination of proceedings (37 CFR § 1.197(c))           
          as to the rejected claims:                                                  
                    (1) Submit an appropriate amendment of the claims                 
               so rejected or a showing of facts relating to the                      
               claims so rejected, or both, and have the matter                       
               reconsidered by the examiner, in which event the                       
               application will be remanded to the examiner. . . .                    

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