REVERSED

1600 Biotechnology and Organic Chemistry
1649 Ex Parte Hartlep et al 11/251,593 McCOLLUM 101 DON W. BULSON RENNER OTTO BOISSELLE & SKLAR EXAMINER MACFARLANE, STACEY NEE

1700 Chemical & Materials Engineering
1761 Ex Parte Jin et al 11/446,894 WALSH 103(a) PAUL A. LEIPOLD EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY EXAMINER AHVAZI, BIJAN

1726 Ex Parte Bednarz et al 10/506,386 HANLON 102(b) LUCAS & MERCANTI, LLP EXAMINER WANG, EUGENIA

1734 Ex Parte Dodd et al 10/455,067 KRATZ 103(a) HONEYWELL/FOX ROTHSCHILD EXAMINER NGUYEN, NGOC YEN M

3700 Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing, and Products & Design
3721 Ex Parte SCHULZ 11/559,680 O’NEILL 103(a) STRIKER, STRIKER & STENBY EXAMINER LOW, LINDSAY M

AFFIRMED-IN-PART

1600 Biotechnology and Organic Chemistry
1649 Ex Parte Schenk 10/923,469 GRIMES 102(b)/103(a) ALSTON & BIRD LLP EXAMINER KOLKER, DANIEL E

2100 Computer Architecture and Software
2185 Ex Parte Alavarez et al 10/235,924 BAUMEISTER 103(a) HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY EXAMINER LI, ZHUO H

2600 Communications
2614 Ex Parte Marquette et al 10/334,872 BAUMEISTER 102(e) HOLLAND & HART, LLP EXAMINER HONG, HARRY S

AFFIRMED

1600 Biotechnology and Organic Chemistry
1641 Ex Parte Yang et al 10/308,926 FREDMAN 103(a) DORITY & MANNING, P.A. EXAMINER YU, MELANIE J

2100 Computer Architecture and Software
2158 Ex Parte Fukui 10/767,780 HOMERE 102(b)/103(a) OSTROLENK FABER GERB & SOFFEN EXAMINER DARNO, PATRICK A

3600 Transportation, Construction, Electronic Commerce, Agriculture, National Security, and License & Review
3644 Ex Parte Weeda 10/852,494 O’NEILL 103(a) ROGER L. BELFAY EXAMINER NGUYEN, TRINH T

Whether a reference teaches away from a claimed invention is a question of fact. See In re Harris, 409 F.3d 1339, 1341 (Fed. Cir. 2005). “A reference may be said to teach away when a person of ordinary skill, upon reading the reference, … would be led in a direction divergent from the path that was taken by the applicant.” In re Haruna, 249 F.3d 1327, 1335 (Fed. Cir. 2001) (quoting Tec Air, Inc. v. Denso Mfg. Mich., Inc., 192 F.3d 1353, 1360 (Fed. Cir. 1999)). “When a piece of prior art ‘suggests that the line of development flowing from the reference’s disclosure is unlikely to be productive of the result sought by the applicant’ the piece of prior art is said to ‘teach away’ from the claimed invention.” Medichem, S.A. v. Rolabo, S.L., 437 F.3d 1157, 1165 (Fed. Cir. 2006) (quoting In re Gurley, 27 F.3d 551, 553 (Fed. Cir. 1994)). A prior art reference must be considered in its entirety, i.e., as a whole, including portions that would lead away from the claimed invention. See W.L. Gore & Assoc., Inc. v. Garlock, Inc., 721 F.2d 1540, 1550 (Fed. Cir. 1983). However, “[t]he prior art’s mere disclosure of more than one alternative does not constitute a teaching away from any of these alternatives because such disclosure does not criticize, discredit, or otherwise discourage the solution claimed . . . ” In re Fulton, 391 F.3d 1195, 1201 (Fed. Cir. 2004).

Harris, In re, 409 F.3d 1339, 74 USPQ2d 1951 (Fed. Cir. 2005) . . . . . . . 2144.05

Gurley, In re, 27 F.3d 551, 31 USPQ2d 1130 (Fed. Cir. 1994). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2123, 2145

W.L. Gore & Assoc., Inc. v. Garlock, Inc., 721 F.2d 1540, 220 USPQ 303 (Fed. Cir. 1983). . . . 2132, 2133.03(a), 2133.03(c), 2141.01, 2141.02, 2144.08, 2164.08, 2165.04, 2173.05(b)

Fulton, In re, 391 F.3d 1195, 73 USPQ2d 1141 (Fed. Cir. 2004) . . . . 2123, 2141.02, 2143.01, 2145

3700 Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing, and Products & Design
3774 Ex Parte Mills et al 10/192,180 LEBOVITZ 103(a) REGENERATION TECHNOLOGIES, INC. c/o MCANDREWS, HELD & MALLOY EXAMINER PREBILIC, PAUL B

3738 Ex Parte Schmieding 10/665,480 STAICOVICI 112(1)/103(a) DICKSTEIN SHAPIRO LLP EXAMINER PRONE, CHRISTOPHER D