Ex parte GALLEGOS - Page 9




            Appeal No. 97-2313                                                                            
            Application 29/024,479                                                                        


            patent protection is being sought. It would be inappropriate                                  
            on our part to speculate as to what is intended to be covered                                 
            by appellant’s                                                                                


            design claim. Simply as an example of the indefiniteness issue                                
            surrounding appellant’s design claim, we note that there is no                                
            drawing figure in this design application which is a top view.                                
            Thus, the periphery (external boundary) of the sole, for                                      
            example, is indeterminate based upon the showing in Figures 1                                 
            through 3 and Figures 4 through 6. It must, of course, be kept                                
            in mind that the addition of views depicting appearances not                                  
            originally disclosed, as well as the removal of design                                        
            appearances originally disclosed, each raise a description                                    
            issue (new matter). Since the design being claimed is                                         
            indeterminate, what would constitute an appropriate Rosen                                     
            reference under 35 U.S.C.                                                                     
            § 103 would likewise be indeterminate. See In re Rosen, 673                                   
            F.2d 388, 213 USPQ 347 (CCPA 1982).   It is for the above9                                                


                  9Appellant submits (reply brief, page 4, footnote 2) that the Gelli                     
            document would not be a proper basic reference. Declarants Whatley and                        
            Hockerson (declarations in APPENDICES A and B of main brief) each addressed                   
            the Weber patent as a basic reference, indicating in effect that Weber does                   
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