DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 05/19/2026 has been entered.
Claims 15-17 and 20-29 are currently pending. Claims 1-14 and 18-19 have been canceled. Claim 15 has been amended.
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 24 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.
Claim 24 recites “ The photosensitive printing plate precursor according to claim 15, wherein said photosensitive resin layer comprises a polyvinyl alcohol, …, as said component (A).” The claim as written is indefinite and unclear. The limitation of “said component (A)’ is not positively recited in claim 24 or claim 15. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Applicants only have support for the terms “polymer (A) or component (A-1) or (A2)’. Appropriate correction is required.
REASONS FOR ALLOWANCE
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: Claims 15-17, 20-23 and 25-29 are allowed.
The closest prior art , Kawahara et al. (CN 107924129 A1), fails to explicitly disclose a photosensitive resin printing plate precursor comprising at least a support and photosensitive resin layer as instantly claimed.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHANCEITY N ROBINSON whose telephone number is (571)270-3786. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (8:00 am-6:00 pm; IFP; PHP).
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/CHANCEITY N ROBINSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1737