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 .
Withdrawn Rejections
Any rejections and or objections, made in the previous Office Action, and not repeated below, are hereby withdrawn due to Applicant’s amendments and/or arguments in the response dated January 30, 2026. However, new rejections may have been made using the same prior art if still applicable to the newly presented amendments and/or arguments.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 4, and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Shin et al. (USPGPub 2022/0118731 A1).
Shin et al. disclose an adhesive film (Figure 8D comprising: an adhesive layer (Figure 8D, #23); a first liner disposed on a first surface of the adhesive layer (Figure 8D, #10); and a second liner disposed on a second surface of the adhesive layer (Figure 8D, #GF), wherein the first liner comprises: a body overlapping the adhesive layer (Figures 1 and 2, wherein the GF contains central area MAc), and a plurality of wings extending from the body without overlapping the adhesive layer (Figures 1 and 2, wherein the GF contains areas SA1, SA2, SA3, and SA4), wherein the body includes first and second sides parallel to a first direction (Figures 1 and 2, wherein the GF contains areas SA1 and SA3), and third and fourth sides parallel to a second direction crossing the first direction (Figures 1 and 2, wherein the GF contains areas SA2 and SA4), the plurality of wings include a first wing and a second wing extending in a direction parallel to the second direction from the first side and the second side (Figures 1 and 2, wherein the GF contains areas SA1 and SA3), the plurality of wings further include a third wing and a fourth wing extending in a direction parallel to the first direction from the third side and the fourth side (Figures 1 and 2, wherein the GF contains areas SA2 and SA4), the first wing, the second wing, the third wing, and the fourth wing extending from the body form a cross-shaped planar shape (Figures 1 and 2, wherein the GF contains areas SA1, SA2, SA3, and SA4) as in claim 1. With respect to claim 4, the body and the plurality of wings are integrally formed (Figures 1 and 2, #GF). For claim 5, the first liner has a cross-shaped planar shape, and the second liner has a rectangular planar shape (Figures 1 and 2, #GF; Figure 8D, #10 and GF).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 6 – 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shin et al. (USPGPub 2022/0118731 A1) in view of Lin et al. (USPN 12,234,396).
Shin et al. disclose an adhesive film (Figure 8D comprising: an adhesive layer (Figure 8D, #23); a first liner disposed on a first surface of the adhesive layer (Figure 8D, #10); and a second liner disposed on a second surface of the adhesive layer (Figure 8D, #GF), wherein the first liner comprises: a body overlapping the adhesive layer (Figures 1 and 2, wherein the GF contains central area MAc), and a plurality of wings extending from the body without overlapping the adhesive layer (Figures 1 and 2, wherein the GF contains areas SA1, SA2, SA3, and SA4), wherein the body includes first and second sides parallel to a first direction (Figures 1 and 2, wherein the GF contains areas SA1 and SA3), and third and fourth sides parallel to a second direction crossing the first direction (Figures 1 and 2, wherein the GF contains areas SA2 and SA4), the plurality of wings include a first wing and a second wing extending in a direction parallel to the second direction from the first side and the second side (Figures 1 and 2, wherein the GF contains areas SA1 and SA3), the plurality of wings further include a third wing and a fourth wing extending in a direction parallel to the first direction from the third side and the fourth side (Figures 1 and 2, wherein the GF contains areas SA2 and SA4), the first wing, the second wing, the third wing, and the fourth wing extending from the body form a cross-shaped planar shape (Figures 1 and 2, wherein the GF contains areas SA1, SA2, SA3, and SA4). However, Shin et al. fail to disclose a plurality of alignment marks formed in the first liner, the plurality of alignment marks are disposed in the body, a plurality of alignment marks are disposed in the plurality of wings, and the plurality of alignment marks are printed on the first liner, engraved on the first liner, or formed to pass through the first liner.
Lin et al. teach an adhesive sheet with a release liner (Figures 1A and 1B; Abstract), wherein a plurality of alignment marks formed in the first liner (Figure 1A and 1B, #101M), the plurality of alignment marks are disposed in the body (Figure 1A and 1B, #101M; Abstract), a plurality of alignment marks are disposed in the plurality of wings (Figure 1A and 1B, #101M; Abstract), and the plurality of alignment marks are printed on the first liner, engraved on the first liner, or formed to pass through the first liner (Figure 1A and 1B, #101M; Abstract; Column 3, lines 13 – 24) for the purpose of aligning the adhesive sheet with other layers (Column 3, lines 36 – 45).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a plurality of alignment marks formed in the first liner of Shin et al. in order to align the adhesive sheet with other layers as taught by Lin et al.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1 and 4 – 9 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Please see the newly presented rejection in view of Shin et al.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
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/Patricia L. Nordmeyer/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1788
/pln/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1788 February 19, 2026
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