Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . Claims 1-17 are pending in this application.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of 03/30/2026 in the reply filed on Group II is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Dependent claim 3 teaches "the catalysis" but there is no antecedent basis back in claim 1. In order to overcome this rejection, the examiner recommends that applicants rewrite claim 1 to read as “esterification reaction is carried out under the conditions of a catalyst. and the catalyst".
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-2, 4-11 and 17 are allowed. To expedite prosecution, the examiner recommends that applicants delete claims 12-16 that are drawn to non-elected invention of Group I.
Information Disclosure Statement
5. Applicant’s Information Disclosure Statement, filed on 04/14/2026 has been acknowledged. Please refer to Applicant’s copies of the 1449 submitted herewith.
Conclusion
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kahsay Habte Ph.D. whose telephone number is (571)272-0667. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:30 - 5:00 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, JEFFREY MURRAY can be reached on 571-272-9023. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Kahsay Habte/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1624
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