Q) Anticipated under 102(e) (10.03.17p)

by admin on April 13, 2010

in Exam Questions

Recent test takers report that question #17 from the October 2003 (PM) test is in the patent bar exam database.

17. A patent application was filed on November 1, 2000 for the invention of J.J. Smithy. The application has no priority or benefit claims to any other application. Claims in the application are separately rejected under 35 USC 102 as being anticipated by each of the following references. Which reference can be properly applied under 35 U.S.C. 102(e) in accordance with the patent laws, rules and procedures as related in the MPEP?
(A) A WIPO publication of an international application under PCT Article 21(2), which has an international filing date of October 3, 2000, was published in English and designated the United States.
(B) A U.S. patent by J.J. Smithy that has a filing date of September 5, 2000.
(C) A U.S. application publication under 35 U.S.C. 122(b) by inventor Jones that was filed on August 8, 2000.
(D) A journal article by Marks published on October 11, 2000.
(E) All of the above.


ANSWER: The correct answer is answer (C). 35 U.S.C. § 102(e); MPEP § 706.02(f). The application publication is a proper reference under 35 U.S.C. 102(e) because it was filed by another prior to the filing date of the invention. See MPEP § 706.02(f) et seq. Answer (A) is incorrect. The reference in answer (A) is not a proper reference under 35 U.S.C. § 102(e) because its international filing date was prior to November 29, 2000 thereby failing one of the three conditions for a WIPO publication of an international application to be applied under 35 U.S.C. § 102(e). See MPEP § 706(f)(1), under the heading “I. Determine The Appropriate 35 U.S.C. 102(e) For Each Potential Reference By Following The Guidelines, Examples And Flow Charts Set Forth Below,” subpart (C), which states “[I]f the potential reference resulted from, or claimed the benefit of, an international application, the following must be determined: (1) If the international application meets the following three conditions: (a) an international filing date on or after November 29, 2000 . . . then the international filing date is a U.S. filing date for prior art purposes under 35 U.S.C. 102(e).” The reference in (B) is not a proper reference under 35 U.S.C. § 102(e) because the reference is not by another. See MPEP § 706.02(f). The reference in (D) is not a proper reference under 35 U.S.C. § 102(e) because 35 U.S.C. § 102(e) refers to patents and patent applications, not journal articles. See MPEP § 706.02(f)(1). (E) is not correct because (C) is correct and (A), (B) and (D) are incorrect.

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