Ex parte DAKIN - Page 5




                     Appeal No. 1999-0189                                                                                                                                              
                     Application No. 08/344,691                                                                                                                                        


                                           Furthermore, there is no apparent reason why                                                                                                
                                applicant was prevented from presenting claims                                                                                                         
                                corresponding to those of the instant application                                                                                                      
                                during prosecution of the application which matured                                                                                                    
                                into a patent.  See In re Schneller, 397 F.2d 350,                                                                                                     
                                158 USPQ 210 (CCPA 1968).   See also MPEP § 804.      [1]                                                                                              
                                In response to the examiner’s Schneller-based rejection,                                                                                               
                     appellant argues (Brief, pages 4 through 14) that Schneller                                                                                                       
                     has been overruled by subsequent cases.  According to                                                                                                             
                     appellant (Brief, page 4), the Court of Customs and Patent                                                                                                        
                     Appeals (CCPA) overruled Schneller in In re White, 405 F.2d                                                                                                       
                     904, 906, 160 USPQ 417, 418 (CCPA 1969) by stating “[o]f                                                                                                          
                     course, if the appealed invention is unobvious, there can be                                                                                                      


                                1The examiner’s rationale for the rejection tracks the                                                                                                 
                     reasoning used by the court which is as follows:                                                                                                                  
                                While his [Schneller’s] invention can be practiced                                                                                                     
                                in the forms ABCX or ABCY, the greatest advantage                                                                                                      
                                and best mode of practicing the invention as                                                                                                           
                                disclosed is obtained by using both inventions in                                                                                                      
                                the combination ABCXY.  His first application                                                                                                          
                                disclosed ABCXY and other matters.  He obtained a                                                                                                      
                                patent claiming BCX and ABCX, but so claiming these                                                                                                    
                                combinations as to cover them no matter what other                                                                                                     
                                feature is incorporated in them, thus covering                                                                                                         
                                effectively ABCXY.  He now, many years later, seeks                                                                                                    
                                more claims directed to ABCX and ABCXY.  Thus,                                                                                                         
                                protection he already had would be extended, albeit                                                                                                    
                                in somewhat different form, for several years beyond                                                                                                   
                                the expiration of his patent, were we to reverse.                                                                                                      
                                Schneller, 397 F.2d at 355-56, 158 USPQ at 216.                                                                                                        
                                                                                          5                                                                                            





Page:  Previous  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  Next 

Last modified: November 3, 2007