CAVANAGH V. MCMAHON et al. - Page 16




          Interference No. 102,668                                                    


          under 37 CFR § 1.204(c), the predecessor to § 1.608(b), "the                
          burden on [appellants] is not to prove beyond a reasonable                  
          doubt, or even by a preponderance of the evidence, but merely               
          to establish a prima facie case") (quoting Schwab v. Pittman,               
          451 F.2d 637, 640, 172 USPQ 69, 71 (CCPA 1971)).                            
                    Cavanagh also complains that McMahon never raised                 
          the "in this country" issue before, never availed himself of                
          the opportunity to pursue this question during cross-                       
          examination of Cavanagh's witnesses, and has not offered a                  
          scintilla of evidence that the reduction to practice occurred               
          outside the United States.  These arguments, too, are                       
          unconvincing.  While McMahon was obliged by § 1.672(c) to give              
          notice during Cavanagh's testimony-in-chief period of any                   
          admissibility problems McMahon intended to raise at final                   
          hearing, he was not required, prior to filing his brief, to                 
          attack Cavanagh's evidence for failing to satisfy the                       
          preponderance of the evidence standard.  Nor was McMahon                    
          required to file rebuttal evidence on this question.  See                   
          Linkow v. Linkow, 517 F.2d 1370, 1374, 186 USPQ 223, 226 (CCPA              
          1975) (no adverse inference can be drawn from failure of                    
          senior party to present any testimony, because senior party                 

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