Ex parte NILSSEN - Page 8




          Appeal No. 1997-2289                                                        
          Application 08/395,691                                                      


          13, 16, 18 and 19 over Anderson.                                            
               Rejections under 35 U.S.C. § 103                                       
               There are two separate groups of claims rejected over two              
          separate combinations of references.  However, we first                     
          outline the criteria for a rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 103.                 
          As a general proposition in an appeal involving a rejection                 
          under 35 U.S.C. § 103, an Examiner is under a burden to make                
          out a prima facie case of obviousness.  If that burden is met,              
          the burden of going forward then shifts to the applicant to                 
          overcome the prima facie case with argument and/or evidence.                
          Obviousness is then determined on the basis of the evidence as              
          a whole and the relative persuasiveness of the arguments.  See              
          In re Oetiker, 977 F.2d 1443, 1445, 24 USPQ2d 1443, 1444 (Fed.              
          Cir. 1992); In re Hedges, 783 F.2d 1038, 1039, 228 USPQ 685,                
          686 (Fed. Cir. 1986); In re Piasecki, 745 F.2d 1468, 1472, 223              
          USPQ 785, 788 (Fed. Cir. 1984); and In re Rinehart, 531 F.2d                
          1048, 1052, 189 USPQ 143, 147 (CCPA 1976).                                  







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