Understanding Patent Application Amendment After Payment Of Issue Fee
Definition & Meaning
A patent application amendment after payment of the issue fee refers to a change made to a patent application once it has been approved and the issue fee has been paid. This type of amendment is governed by specific legal regulations and is not automatically granted; instead, it requires a petition to the Commissioner of Patents. The applicant must provide valid reasons for why the amendment was not submitted earlier.
Legal Use & context
This term is primarily used in patent law, which falls under intellectual property rights. It is relevant when an applicant wishes to modify their patent application after it has been allowed. Users may need to navigate through legal procedures and forms, which can often be managed with the help of templates provided by services like US Legal Forms.
Real-world examples
Here are a couple of examples of abatement:
Example 1: An inventor realizes that they need to clarify a claim in their patent after the application has been allowed. They pay the issue fee and submit an amendment along with a petition explaining why the clarification was not made earlier.
Example 2: A company discovers that it must adjust the description of its invention to better reflect its use in the market. After paying the issue fee, they file an amendment with a petition justifying the need for the change. (hypothetical example)
Relevant laws & statutes
The primary regulation governing amendments after the payment of the issue fee is found in 37 CFR § 1.312. This statute outlines the requirements and procedures for submitting such amendments.