Ex Parte BISHOP - Page 15





         interference No. 104,067                                                    


              Roger Hardee is said to "confirm" Bishop's knowledge of                
         Kramp's invention in an affidavit wherein Mr. Hardee states                 
         (Hardee affidavit dated January 28, 2000, paragraph 5):                     
              5. Proof of Mr. Bishop's knowledge of the invention                    
              of Mr. Kramp will be confirmed by the Minutes of                       
              Stockholders' Meeting dated April 23, 1993, attached                   
              hereto and labeled as Exhibit H-1, showing him to be a                 
              shareholder in the Assignee at a point prior to his                    
              filing date as Sr. Party in this interference.                         
                                        Vi.                                          
              To prove derivation, a party must show (1) prior conception            
         of the subject matter of the count and (2) communication of the             
         conception to the opponent. Price, 988 F.2d at 1190, 26 USPQ2d              
         at 1033; Hedgewick v. Akers, 497 F.2d 905, 908, 182 USPQ 167, 169           
         (CCPA 1974). The subject matter communicated must have been                 
         sufficient to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to                    
         construct and successfully operate the invention. Mead v.                   
         McKirnan, 585 F.2d 504, 507, 199 USPQ 513, 515 (CCPA 1978).                 
              The record is simply devoid of any evidence which                      
         establishes that a conception of the subject matter of the count            
         was communicated to Bishop. See Coleman v. Dines, 754 F.2d 353,             
         359, 224 USPQ 857, 862 (Fed. Cir. 1985) (to establish conception            
         a party must show every feature recited in the count). The                  
         shareholder minutes merely mention a "tire grinding machine," and           
         the conflicts check report does not even refer to a "tire                   

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