FOSTER et al. V. BANG et al. - Page 13




                                                                               Interference No. 104,733                
                                                                                            Page No. 13                
                   UW has filed a preliminary motion seeking a judgment of no interference-in-fact                     
            based on the differences between the sequence of UW claim 3 and the sequences                              
            recited in Lilly's claims. (UW Preliminary Motion 1, Paper No. 17, p. 1). In response to                   
            UW's motion, Lilly filed a preliminary motion requesting that the interfering subject                      
            matter be redefined to have UW claim 1 designated as corresponding to Count 1. (Lilly                      
            Preliminary Motion 1, Paper No. 27, p. 1).2                                                                


                   1 . What is Required for a Determination of "No Interference-In-Fact"1                                                                                                  
                   Both UW and Lilly agree that there is an interference-in-fact when two parties are                  
            claiming the same patentable subject matter. The parties, however, disagree as to the                      
            test for determining whether the parties claims define the same patentable subject                         
            matter.                                                                                                    


                   While 35 U.S.C. § 135(a) sets forth the requirements for declaring an                               
            interference, the statute fails to explicitly state the requirements for determining whether               
            there is no interference-in-fact once an interference has been declared. To aid us in                      
            our understanding, we look to the United States Patent & Trademark Office's                                
            ("USPTO") rules regarding no interference-in-fact. Yet, as the comments to the rules                       
            specifically state that USPTO would continue to follow the decisions rendered in Case                      


                    Rule 633(i) allows a party to respond to a motion for no interference in fact by                   
            filing, among other things, a motion under Rule 633(c) to redefine the interfering subject                 
            matter.                                                                                                    






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