After the times for filing the statement and reply provided for by section 304 have expired, reexamination will be conducted according to the procedures established for initial examination under the provisions of sections 132 and 133. In any reexamination proceeding under this chapter, the patent owner will be permitted to propose any amendment to his patent and a new claim or claims thereto, in order to distinguish the invention as claimed from the prior art cited under the provisions of section 301, or in response to a decision adverse to the patentability of a claim of a patent. No proposed amended or new claim enlarging the scope of a claim of the patent will be permitted in a reexamination proceeding under this chapter. All reexamination proceedings under this section, including any appeal to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, will be conducted with special dispatch within the Office.
Pub. L. 96–517, § 194 Stat. 3016Pub. L. 98–622, title II, § 204(c)98 Stat. 3388Pub. L. 112–29125 Stat. 290(Added , , ; amended , , ; , §§ 3(j)(1), 20(j), , , 335.)
Editorial Notes
Amendments
Pub. L. 112–29, § 20(j)2011—, struck out “of this title” after “304”, after “133”, and after “301”.
Pub. L. 112–29, § 3(j)(1), substituted “Patent Trial and Appeal Board” for “Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences”.
Pub. L. 98–622, § 204(c)1984—, substituted “Patent Appeals and Interferences” for “Appeals”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 2011 Amendment
section 3(j)(1) of Pub. L. 112–29section 3(n) of Pub. L. 112–29section 100 of this titleAmendment by effective upon the expiration of the 18-month period beginning on , and applicable to certain applications for patent and any patents issuing thereon, see , set out as an Effective Date of 2011 Amendment; Savings Provisions note under .
section 20(j) of Pub. L. 112–29lPub. L. 112–29section 2 of this titleAmendment by effective upon the expiration of the 1-year period beginning on , and applicable to proceedings commenced on or after that effective date, see section 20() of , set out as a note under .
Effective Date of 1984 Amendment
Pub. L. 98–622section 207 of Pub. L. 98–622section 41 of this titleAmendment by effective three months after , see , set out as a note under .
Effective Date
section 8(b) of Pub. L. 96–517section 41 of this titleSection effective , and applicable to patents in force as of , or issued thereafter, see , set out as an Effective Date of 1980 Amendment note under .