DETAILED ACTION
This office action follows a response filed on November 9, 2025. Claims 1, 4, 8, 13, 16, 19, and 20 were amended, and claims 3 and 5 were canceled. Claims 1, 2, 4, and 6-20 are pending.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 1, please replace “A hybrid catalyst composition” with “A hybrid catalytic composition” so the latter term is used consistently throughout remaining claims.
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: The structures represented by Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3, Formulae 1-1 to 1-12, and Formulae 2-1 to 2-12 are illegible. Resubmit claims using black ink for all text and figures instead of grayscale.
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: Since the transition metal compounds of the hybrid catalytic composition have been defined specifically as compounds of Formulae 1-1 to 1-12, Formula 2-1 to 2-12, and Formulae 3-1 to 3-12, a description of generic Formulae 1 to 3 is irrelevant. Claim may be written succinctly as, “A hybrid catalytic composition comprising at least two kinds of transition metal compounds that are different from each other, wherein the at least two kinds of transition metal compounds comprises at least one transition metal compound represented by Formulae 1-1 to 1-12, at least one transition metal compound represented by Formulae 2-1 to 2-12, or at least one transition metal compound represented by Formula 3-1 to 3-12.”
Claim 2 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 3, please replace “R1 to Rs and Ro to R1o” with “R1 to R5 and R6 to R10”.
Claim 4 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 3, please replace “Formula 6 to the” with “Formula 6 to a”.
Claim 4 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 6, please replace “the molar” with “a molar”.
Claim 4 is objected to because of the following informalities: The structures represented by Formulae 1 to 6, Formulae 4-1 to 4-12, and Formulae 5-1 to 5-6 are illegible. Resubmit claims using black ink for all text and figures instead of grayscale.
Claim 4 is objected to because of the following informalities: Please reformat the claim as it appears that the structures represented by Formulae 4 to 6 precede the structure represented by Formula 3. This may be remedied by placing all figures on a single page.
Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 2, please replace “ZrC14” with “ZrCl4”.
Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 2, please replace “HfCl14” with “HfCl4”.
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 2, please replace “the dried” with “a dried”.
Claim 19 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 2, delete “hybrid” which precedes “transition metal”.
Claim 20 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 3, please replace “Formula” with “Formula 5”.
Claim 20 is objected to because of the following informalities: The structures represented by Formulae 1 to 6 are illegible. Resubmit claims using black ink for all text and figures instead of grayscale.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends. Claimed hybrid catalyst composition is defined specifically to contain transition metal compounds represented by Formulae 1-1 to 1-12, Formula 2-1 to 2-12, and Formulae 3-1 to 3-12. Therefore, descriptions of ancillary ligand X and substituents R1 to Rs and Ro to R1o [sic] are irrelevant and do not limit further the subject of the independent claim.
Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
Response to Arguments
The rejections of claims under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), set forth in paragraphs 48-50 of the previous office action dated August 21, 2025, have been withdrawn in view of claim amendments.
The rejections of claims under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kao et al. (US 7,410,926), Kim et al. (US 11,332,553), and Jensen et al. (US 7,119,153), set forth in paragraphs 52-54 of the previous office action, have been withdrawn in view of claim amendments.
Subject of claims is patentably distinct over cited references, however, claims are not in condition for allowance. For purposes of completing PTO-326, status of claims 7-9 and 11-18 is listed as “objected to”.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Rip A. Lee whose telephone number is (571)272-1104. The examiner can be reached on Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert Jones, can be reached at (571)270-7733. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571)273-8300.
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/RIP A LEE/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1762
November 20, 2025
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