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 .
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 28 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.
The claim does not step forth an active methodological step.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claim 28 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The claim(s) does/do not fall within at least one of the four categories of patent eligible subject matter because “use” is not one of the four categories of patent eligible subject matter recited in 35 U.S.C. 101 (process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter).
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 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); 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 nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The actual filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/applying-online/eterminal-disclaimer.
Claims 1-2, 4, 8-9, 13, 17-21, 23-24, 26, and 28-33 are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1, 4-5, 8, 14-15, 22-29, 31-32, 34-35, 37, and 39 of copending Application No. 18/816,988 (reference application). Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the instant claims are generic to all that is recited in claims 1, 4-5, 8, 14-15, 22-29, 31-32, 34-35, 37, and 39 of copending Application No. 18/816,988. That is, claims 1, 4-5, 8, 14-15, 22-29, 31-32, 34-35, 37, and 39 of copending Application No. 18/816,988 fall entirely within the scope of claims 1-2, 4, 8-9, 13, 17-21, 23-24, 26, and 28-33 or, in other words, claims 1-2, 4, 8-9, 13, 17-21, 23-24, 26, and 28-33 are anticipated by claims 1, 4-5, 8, 14-15, 22-29, 31-32, 34-35, 37, and 39 of copending Application No. 18/816,988.
This is a provisional nonstatutory double patenting rejection because the patentably indistinct claims have not in fact been patented.
Conclusion
Claims 1-2, 4, 8-9, 13, 17-21, 23-24, 26, and 28-33 are pending. Claims 1-2, 4, 8-9, 13, 17-21, 23-24, 26, and 28-33 are rejected. No claims are allowed.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Bartlett et al. US 11,780,844 B2 (Bartlett) is representative of prior art. Bartlett provides a compound of FormuIa I:
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See column 1, lines 55-67. Bartlett further teaches compounds 42 (column 91-92), 58-60 (column 97-100), 65 (column 101-102), 81(column 107-108), and 102 (column 115-116).
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The compounds of Bartlett differ from a compound of instant Formula I in that the cyano group is at the 1’ position in the compounds of Bartlett versus the 4’ position as instantly claimed. Prior art provides no motivation for selected compounds 42, 58-60, 65, 81, and 102 for further modification. Prior art provides no motivation for selecting the 1’ position of compounds 42, 58-60, 65, 81, and 102 for further modification.
Contacts
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PATRICK T LEWIS whose telephone number is (571)272-0655. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday, 10 AM to 4 PM EST (Maxi Flex).
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, Renee Claytor can be reached at (571) 272-8394. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PATRICK T LEWIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1691
/PL/
