DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claims 10, 12-30 are pending and under consideration in this Office Action.
The previous objection to the title has been withdrawn in view of the amendment to the title filed 04/15/2026.
In view of the claim amendments and arguments filed 04/15/2026 all previous claim objections and/or claim rejections have been withdrawn in favor of the instant rejection of the claims stated below.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory obviousness-type double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); and In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on a nonstatutory double patenting ground provided the conflicting application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with this application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement.
Effective January 1, 1994, a registered attorney or agent of record may sign a terminal disclaimer. A terminal disclaimer signed by the assignee must fully comply with 37 CFR 3.73(b).
Claims 10, 12-30 are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 9, 10, 12-15, 21 of Application Serial No. 18553810, claims 9-15 of Application Serial No. 18553801. Applicant’s statement filed 04/15/2026 that applicant is willing to consider filing a terminal disclaimer. However, until a terminal disclaimer is filed the claims are rejected as stated below.
Although the conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other for the following reasons. The claims are broad and widely varying and encompass any process for producing any fermentation product from any cellulosic material, which process comprises a) hydrolysing the cellulosic material with any enzyme composition to obtain any sugar, b) fermenting the obtained sugar by contacting the obtained sugar with any fermenting microorganism to produce the fermentation product, and c) optionally, recovering the fermentation product, wherein the enzyme composition comprises any glucoamylase comprising the amino acid sequence of any mature polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 2, any cellobiohydrolase I comprising the amino acid sequence of any mature polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 4, and any beta-glucosidase.
The claims and/or specification of the copending applications teach the claimed process for producing a fermentation product from a cellulosic material, which process comprises a) hydrolysing the cellulosic material with an enzyme composition to obtain a sugar, b) fermenting the obtained sugar by contacting the obtained sugar with a fermenting microorganism to produce the fermentation product, and c) optionally, recovering the fermentation product. Thus, the teachings anticipate the claimed invention.
This is a provisional nonstatutory double patenting rejection because the patentably indistinct claims have not in fact been patented.
Conclusion
No claim is allowed.
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 extension fee 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 Christian L Fronda whose telephone number is (571)272 0929. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday and alternate Fridays between 9:00AM-5:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert Mondesi can be reached on (408)918-7584. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTIAN L FRONDA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1652
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