REVERSED

1700 Chemical & Materials Engineering
1736 Ex Parte Ernst et al 10/243,590 TIMM KIMLIN WARREN 103(a) ALSTON & BIRD LLP EXAMINER HENDRICKSON, STUART L

2100 Computer Architecture and Software
2173 Ex Parte Bokhari et al 09/902,929 BLANKENSHIP HOMERE COURTENAY III 102(a)/103(a) ZILKA-KOTAB, PC- NVID EXAMINER ROSWELL, MICHAEL

Section 102(a) establishes that a person can not patent what was already known to others. If the invention was known to or used by others in this country before the date of the patentee’s invention, the later inventor has not contributed to the store of knowledge, and has no entitlement to a patent. Accordingly, in order to invalidate a patent based on prior knowledge or use, that knowledge or use must have been available to the public. See Carella v. Starlight Archery, 804 F.2d 135, 139, 231 USPQ 644, 646 (Fed. Cir. 1986) (the Section 102(a) language “known or used by others in this country” means knowledge or use which is accessible to the public); 35 U.S.C. Section 102(a) reviser’s note (1952) (noting that “‘known’ has been held to mean ‘publicly known’” and that “no change in the language is made at this time”); P.J. Federico, Commentary on the New Patent Act (1954) reprinted in 75 J. Pat. Trademark Off. Soc’y 161, 178 (1993) (“interpretation [of Section 102(a)] by the courts excludes various kinds of private knowledge not known to the public”; these “narrowing interpretations are not changed”).

Woodland Trust v. Flowertree Nursery, Inc., 148 F.3d 1368, 1370 (Fed. Cir. 1998).

Carella v. Starlight Archery, 804 F.2d 135, 231 USPQ 644 (Fed. Cir. 1986) . . .2128, 2132

3700 Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing, and Products & Design
3752 Ex Parte Kothen et al 10/559,207 SILVERBERG KERINS BARRETT 103(a) COHEN, PONTANI, LIEBERMAN & PAVANE LLP EXAMINER MCGRAW, TREVOR EDWIN

REEXAMINATION

EXAMINER AFFIRMED

3900 Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) Original Art Unit 1711
3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY Requester and Respondent v. Patent of DUPONT PERFORMANCE ELASTOMERS, L.L.C. Patent Owner and Appellant 95/000,144 7,001,951 DELMENDO SCHAFER LEBOVITZ 103(a) For Patent Owner: MORGAN LEWIS & BOCKIUS LLP For Third Party Requester: CHARLES E. VAN HORN FINNEGAN HENDERSON FARABOW GARRETT & DUNNER LLP EXAMINER JOHNSON, JERRY D original EXAMINER WOODWARD, ANA LUCRECIA

EXAMINER AFFIRMED

3900 Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) Original Art Unit 1561
Ex parte Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GMBH, Patent Owner and Appellant 90/010,241 5,836,908 ROBERTSON SCHAFER LEBOVITZ 103(a) FOR PATENT OWNER: KENYON & KENYON LLP FOR THIRD-PARTY REQUESTER: HISCOCK & BARCLAY, LLP EXAMINER DAWSON, GLENN K original EXAMINER CHO, DAVID J

EXAMINER REVERSED

3992 Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) Original Art Unit 1618
Ex parte Hear-Wear Technologies, L.L.C. Appellant 90/010,085 5,606,621 MEDLEY BOALICK TURNER 103(a) FULBRIGHT & JAWORSKI L.L.P Third Party Requester: DAVID J. CUSHING SUGHRUE MION, PLLC EXAMINER BROWNE, LYNNE HAMBLETON original EXAMINER ISEN, FORESTER W

EXAMINER REVERSED

3900 Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) Original Art Unit 2157
Ex parte IHANCE, INC. 90/008,951 7,076,533 LEE EASTHOM TURNER 102(b)/103(a) Gary V. Harkcom GREENBLUM & BERNSTEIN, P.LC. Third Party Requester: Kevin D. McCarthy Roach Brown McCarthy & Gruber, P.C. EXAMINER DEB, ANJAN K original EXAMINER MEKY, MOUSTAFA M

AFFIRMED

1614 Ex Parte Buchman 11/496,710 EXAMINER VAKILI, ZOHREH

2437 Ex Parte Hursey 10/417,194 EXAMINER PEARSON, DAVID J

2169 Ex Parte LaRue et al 10/094,110 EXAMINER TRUONG, CAM Y T

REHEARING

GRANTED

2617 Ex Parte Agapi et al 10/744,254 EXAMINER AJIBADE AKONAI, OLUMIDE