What is a Notice of Allowance in a patent application? A Notice of Allowance (NOA) is a USPTO document indicating that a patent application has been allowed. The approval of your patent application is basically the finish line of your journey and presumably the goal of every applicant. If you have received the NOA, congratulations! […]
Articles Tagged: continuation application
Why file a continuation before your patent is granted?
Why file a continuation application before your patent is granted? “I don’t know what I don’t know.” This axiom rings true especially when it comes to the future. Most patent owners cannot foresee all the ways in which competitors will try to design around their patents. So why file a continuation? It’s simple. A continuation […]
CIP vs. Continuation: Which should you file?
CIP or Continuation: What are the differences? Both types of applications fall under the category of a continuing application. A continuing application is a separately filed application that is linked to a previously filed pending non-provisional application. By definition, the continuing application will have at least some of the original subject matter contained in the […]
What is a Restriction Requirement?
Is my patent application being rejected? If a patent examiner thinks that the pending claims in a patent application are directed to more than one invention, the examiner may issue a Restriction Requirement asking the applicant to pick a certain group of claims to prosecute in the pending application. A Restriction Requirement does not necessarily mean […]
Why file a continuing patent application?
Reasons for Filing a Continuing Application A continuing application is basically a child patent application that must be filed while the parent patent application is still pending. Two key reasons may justify filing a continuing application: You want to pursue different claims than those in the pending application; or You have invented new subject matter (e.g., […]
What are parent and child patent applications?
What is a parent application? A parent application is typically the first or prior nonprovisional patent application filed for an invention. A parent application may disclose multiple inventions. What is a child application? A child patent application is filed while a parent application is still pending (i.e., not issued or abandoned). By linking a child to a parent […]