37 CFR 1.175 — Inventor’s oath or declaration for a reissue application

Ninth Edition, Revision 01.2024

[Editor Note: Applicable only to patent applications filed under 35 U.S.C. 111 , 363 , or 385 on or after September 16, 2012 *]

• (a) The inventor’s oath or declaration for a reissue application, in addition to complying with the requirements of § 1.63 , § 1.64 , or § 1.67 , must also specifically identify at least one error pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 251 being relied upon as the basis for reissue and state that the applicant believes the original patent to be wholly or partly inoperative or invalid by reason of a defective specification or drawing, or by reason of the patentee claiming more or less than the patentee had the right to claim in the patent.
• (b) If the reissue application seeks to enlarge the scope of the claims of the patent (a basis for the reissue is the patentee claiming less than the patentee had the right to claim in the patent), the inventor’s oath or declaration for a reissue application must identify a claim that the application seeks to broaden. A claim is a broadened claim if the claim is broadened in any respect.
• (c) The inventor, or each individual who is a joint inventor of a claimed invention, in a reissue application must execute an oath or declaration for the reissue application, except as provided for in § 1.64 , and except that the inventor’s oath or declaration for a reissue application may be signed by the assignee of the entire interest if:
  • (1) The application does not seek to enlarge the scope of the claims of the original patent; or
  • (2) The application for the original patent was filed under § 1.46 by the assignee of the entire interest.
• (d) If errors previously identified in the inventor’s oath or declaration for a reissue application pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section are no longer being relied upon as the basis for reissue, the applicant must identify an error being relied upon as the basis for reissue.
• (e) The inventor’s oath or declaration for a reissue application required by paragraph (a) of this section may be submitted under the provisions of § 1.53(f) , except that the provisions of § 1.53(f)(3) do not apply to a reissue application.
• (f)
  • (1) The requirement for the inventor’s oath or declaration for a continuing reissue application that claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 120 , 121 , 365(c) , or 386(c) in compliance with § 1.78 of an earlier-filed reissue application may be satisfied by a copy of the inventor’s oath or declaration from the earlier-filed reissue application, provided that:
    • (i) The inventor, or each individual who is a joint inventor of a claimed invention, in the reissue application executed an inventor’s oath or declaration for the earlier-filed reissue application, except as provided for in § 1.64 ;
    • (ii) The continuing reissue application does not seek to enlarge the scope of the claims of the original patent; or
    • (iii) The application for the original patent was filed under § 1.46 by the assignee of the entire interest.
  • (2) If all errors identified in the inventor’s oath or declaration from the earlier-filed reissue application are no longer being relied upon as the basis for reissue, the applicant must identify an error being relied upon as the basis for reissue.
• (g) An oath or declaration filed at any time pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 115(h)(1) , will be placed in the file record of the reissue application, but may not necessarily be reviewed by the Office.

[24 FR 10332, Dec. 22, 1959; 29 FR 18503, Dec. 29, 1964; 34 FR 18857, Nov. 26, 1969; para. (a), 47 FR 21752, May 19, 1982, effective July 1,1982; para. (a), 48 FR 2696, Jan. 20, 1983, effective Feb. 27, 1983; para. (a)(7), 57 FR 2021, Jan. 17, 1992, effective Mar. 16, 1992; revised, 62 FR 53132, Oct. 10, 1997, effective Dec. 1, 1997; para. (e) added, 69 FR 56481, Sept. 21, 2004, effective Oct. 21, 2004; revised, 77 FR 48776, Aug. 14, 2012, effective Sept. 16, 2012; para. (f)(1) introductory text revised, 80 FR 17918, Apr. 2, 2015, effective May 13, 2015]

[ *The changes effective Sept. 16, 2012 and May 13, 2015 are applicable only to patent applications filed under 35 U.S.C. 111 , 363 , or 385 on or after September 16, 2012. See § 1.175 (pre‑AIA) for the rule otherwise in effect.]