Ex parte HERCEG et al. - Page 9




          Appeal No. 98-1693                                                          
          Application D-07/343,182                                                    



          Accordingly, we also sustain the rejection of the claim under               
          35 U.S.C. § 171.                                                            
               Moreover, we note that the panel in Strijland indicated                
          that the claimed design therein would have been deemed to                   
          constitute statutory subject matter had the icon been embodied              
          in the display of a computer, showing the computer and the                  
          video monitor (having the display with the icon shown thereon)              
          in broken lines.  While this was mere dicta, and we are not                 
          bound thereby, we would note that whereas the suggested                     
          embodiment therein was at least directed to a computer system,              
          showing the computer processor and the video monitor in broken              
          line, wherein the icon was clearly shown on the display of a                
          computer, this is a far cry from appellants’ attempted                      
          amendment, placing a mere broken line rectangle around the                  
          icon, wherein the rectangle, albeit said to represent a video               
          touch screen, may, in reality, represent almost anything,                   
          including, for example, a sheet of paper on which the icon is               
          placed.  Quite clearly, a sheet of paper having the icon                    
          imprinted thereon would not constitute patentable subject                   
          matter under 35 U.S.C. § 171.  A simple, broken, rectangular                

                                          9                                           





Page:  Previous  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  Next 

Last modified: November 3, 2007