Appeal No. 1996-1838 Page 5
Application No. 08/119,655
invention claimed in that inventor's first patent. See In re
Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 892, 225 USPQ 645, 648 (Fed. Cir. 1985).
The basic concept of double patenting is that the same
invention cannot be patented more than once since to do so
would result in a second patent that would expire some time
after the first patent expired and extend the protection
timewise. General Foods Corp. v.
Studiengesellschaft Kohle mbH, 972 F.2d 1272, 1279-80, 23
USPQ2d 1839, 1845 (Fed. Cir. 1992); In re Kaplan, 789 F.2d
1574, 1579-80, 229 USPQ 678, 683 (Fed. Cir. 1986).
35 U.S.C. § 101 states "Whoever invents or discovers any
new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition
of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may
obtain a patent therefor..." (Emphasis added). The
prohibition of double patenting of the same invention is based
on 35 U.S.C. § 101. In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 1052, 29
USPQ2d 2010, 2015 (Fed. Cir. 1993); Longi, 759 F.2d at 892,
225 USPQ at 648. By "same invention," the court means
"identical subject matter." Longi, 759 F.2d at 892, 225 USPQ
at 648; In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 441, 164 USPQ 619, 621
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