SANNS V. MARTINEZ - Page 22




          Interference No. 103,446                                                    


          1986, becomes the date of the parties' stipulation concerning               
          the WG-2 mica used in 1986, that is, July 21, 1988.  Once                   
          again, we remind Martinez that the stipulation does not, based              
          on the stipulation, relate back to the work performed in 1986               
          and transform it, nunc pro tunc, to an actual reduction to                  
          practice.                                                                   
                    Martinez' argues that Sanns subsequent work in 1988               
          was directed to commercialization and thus may not be relied                
          on as activity which excuses the delay.  However, the work                  
          performed in March 1988 was before July 21, 1988, the date on               
          which we have found Sanns actually reduced to practice an                   
          embodiment within Count 1.  Accordingly, at the time of the                 
          work there was not yet an actual reduction to practice of the               
          subject matter of the count.  While the plaques tested,                     
          admittedly, required further development and improvement                    
          before they were considered to be commercially acceptable,                  
          there is also no requirement that to constitute an actual                   
          reduction to practice the invention, when tested, be in a                   
          commercially satisfactory or commercially complete stage of                 
          development.  In re Anthony, 414 F.2d 1383, 162 USPQ 594 (CCPA              
          1969).                                                                      
                    Martinez has also argued that Sanns work from                     
          February 1986 does not include mold release agents but Sanns'               
          claims corresponding to the count do.  In view of our holding               

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