MPEP Subject Matter Index (O) – Subject Matter Index

Oath (See alsoDeclaration)
1. Antedating reference (SeeAffidavit, of prior invention to overcome a pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 or 103 rejection(37 CFR 1.131))
2. Non-English 602.06
3. Original (See alsoOath, Original, Rule 1.63) 602.01(a); 602.01(b); 602.01(c)
4. Plant application (Rule 1.162) 1604
5. Reissue (Rule 1.175) 1410.01; 1412.04; 1412.05; 1414 - 1414.03; 1444; 1451; 1455
  1. Supplemental 1412.03; 1414; 1414.02; 1414.03; 1444
6. Substitute 602.02
7. Supplemental 601.05(b); 603
8. Supplemental and allowance 603.01
9. Traversing rejection (Rule 1.132) 716
Oath, Antedating reference (See alsoAffidavit, of prior invention to overcome a pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 or 103 rejection (37 CFR 1.131)) 715
Oath, International application 1893.01(e)
Oath, Original, Rule 1.63 602.01(a); 602.01(b); 602.01(c)
1. Administering 602
2. Amendment 602.01(c)
3. Attorney administers 602
4. Consular certificate 602.04
5. Continuing application 602.01(c); 602.05
6. Copies, filing of 602
7. Date of execution 602.05
8. Declaration in lieu of, Rule 1.68 602; 602.01
9. Defective 602; 602.01(b); 602.02; 602.03
10. Delayed filing 506
11. Divisional application 602.05(a); 602.05(b)
12. Executed before alteration of specification 602.02
13. Execution 602
14. Facsimile 602
15. Foreign execution 602.04
16. Foreign-filed applications listed 214; 214.03; 602.01(b)
17. Invalid, By attorney in case 602
18. Jurisdiction of notary 602; 602.03
19. New required 602.01; 602.02
20. Notary 602; 602.03; 602.04; 602.08(b)
21. Notary certificate 602; 602.03
22. Notary jurisdiction 602
23. Refers to preliminary amendment 602.01(c)
24. Seal 602
25. Seal, Foreign application 602.04
26. Seal, Not required 602
27. Signed before alteration of specification 602.08(b)
28. Substitute 602.02; 604
29. Venue 602
Oath, Supplemental, Rule 1.67 603
1. After allowance 603.01; 714.16
2. Change of inventorship 602; 602.01(c)
Oaths, Conflicting 201.03; 602.01(c)
Object of invention 608.01(d)
Objection contrasted with rejection 706.01
Objection, Dependent claims 608.01(n)
Objection to formal matters, When made 707.07(a); 707.07(j); 710.02(b); 714.14
Obvious error, correction 1302.04; 1305
Obviously informal application 702.01
Obviousness 2120; 2141 - 2146; 2158
1. Age of reference 2145
2. Analogous prior art 1504.03; 2141.01(a); 2145
3. Chemical compounds 2144; 2144.02 - 2144.04; 2144.08; 2144.09
4. Design applications 1504.03
5. Examplary rationales and examples 2143
6. Form paragraphs used for rejection 2148; 2158.01
7. Number of references 2145
8. Ordinary skill, level of 2141; 2141.03
9. Parameter 2144.05
10. Prima facie case 2142 - 2143.03; 2144; 2158
  1. Predictability 2143.02
  2. Rebuttal against 2145
11. Process claims, nonobvious product 2116.01
12. Provisional rejection 2136.01; 2146.03; 2146.03(a); 2148; 2152.07; 2154.01(d); 2158.01
13. Ranges 2144.05
14. Rationale for 2144 - 2144.09
  1. Adjustable, making 2144.04
  2. Aesthetic design changes 2144.04
  3. Automating manual activity 2144.04
  4. Duplication of parts 2144.04
  5. Elimination of element or step 2144.04
  6. Equivalence, art-recognized 2144.06
  7. Genus-species 2144.08
  8. Integral, making 2144.04
  9. Omission of element or step 2144.04
  10. Portable, making 2144.04
  11. Proportion changes 2144.04
  12. Purifying old product 2144.04
  13. Ranges 2144.05
  14. Rearrangement of parts 2144.04
  15. Reversal of parts 2144.04
  16. Separable, making 2144.04
  17. Sequence, change in 2144.04
  18. Shape changes 2144.04
  19. Size changes 2144.04
  20. Species-genus 2144.08
15. Rebuttal arguments by applicant 2144.05; 2145
16. Reliance on scientific theory 2144.02
17. Teaching away in prior art 2141.02; 2145
Offenlegungsshriften 901.05(b)
Offensive language 608; 1504.01(e)
1. Redacted in Pre-Grant Publication 1132
Offensive subject matter 1504.01(e)
Offer to sell 2120.02; 2133.03(b); 2139.02; 2152.02(d)
Offer to surrender original patent (not required) 1416
Office action (SeeAction)
Office action in ex partereexamination 2260; 2262
Office date stamp 505; 506; 710.01(a); 714.18
Office hours 510
Office of Data Management 104; 502; 502.01; 603.01; 608.01(m); 608.02(z); 711.01; 714.16; 714.16(d); 724.05; 903.07; 1125; 1302.05; 1302.12; 1303.01; 1308; 1309; 1309.02; 2229; 2283; 2287; 2295
1. Hand-delivery of papers to 502
2. Petitions decided 1002.02(r)
3. Pre-Grant Publications Division 502; 502.01; 1125; 1126; 1730
  1. Telephone number 1730
Office of Electronic Information Products ; 1730
Office of Enrollment and Discipline 401; 402; 402.01; 407; 410; 502; 510; 601.03; 602; 714.01(a); 1002.02(k)(1); 1002.02(m)
1. Mailing address 501
Office of General Law 1002.02(k)(2)
Office of Governmental Affairs 203.08(a)
Office of Patent Application Processing (See alsoIncoming-Mail Section) 201.03; 201.06(c); 201.06(d); 202; 203.08; 402; 402.01; 409.03; 501; 502; 503; 506; 601; 601.01(d); 601.01(f); 601.01(g); 602.01; 602.01(c); 602.01(c)(1); 602.01(c)(3); 602.03; 602.05(b); 602.08(b); 608.01; 608.01(b); 608.01(f); 608.01(n); 608.02; 608.02(a); 608.02(b); 608.05; 609.07; 714.16(d); 903.08(a); 1306; 1410; 1410.02; 1414; 1414.02; 1451; 1457; 2501; 2542
1. Application Assistance Unit 102; 1730
2. Contact information 1730
3. Petitions handled 1002.02(q)
Office of Patent Classification 903; 903.05; 906
Office of Patent Legal Administration (OPLA) (See alsoCentral Reexamination Unit (CRU)) 103; 506.02; 1002.02(b); 1415.01; 1449.01; 1457; 2227; 2236; 2239; 2284; 2285; 2287
Office of Patent Quality Assurance 1302.04; 1308.03
Office of Petitions 106; 201.03; 201.06(c); 211.04; 410; 502; 601.01(d); 601.01(g); 601.02; 602.01(c)(3); 609.04(b); 1002.02(b); 1308
1. Location and phone number 1730
Office of Policy and External Affairs 213.01
Office of Solicitor 311; 1002.02(k)(3); 1216.01; 1216.02; 1701.01; 1720; 1721; 2207; 2240
1. Mailing address 501
Office of the Commissioner for Patents 1721; 1901.03; 1902.01
1. Duty of disclosure to 2001.03
Office of the Deputy Commissioner for Patents who oversees the Office of Petitions or Assigned Staff in the Office of Petitions, the Office of Patent Legal Administration, and the MPEP Staff Office 410; 502.03; 714.19; 714.25; 1721; 2239
1. Petitions and requests decided by 1002.02(b)
Official action 707
Official Correspondence (OC) 707.05(a); 719.05; 1879
Official Gazette(O.G.) ; 403; 409.03; 409.03(h); 1703
1. Claim published 1302.09
  1. Reissue application 1455
  2. From ex parte reexamination certificate 2287
2. Copies and Subscriptions 1703
3. Defensive publications 711.06(a)
4. Designating classification 1302.09
5. Drawing figure 1302.09
6. eOG:P 1703
7. Issuing as U.S. patent 901.05
8. Notice of ex partereexamination certificate 2288; 2291
9. Notice of Certificate of Correction 1480; 1485
10. Notices 1703
11. Notices of maintenance fees due 2501; 2575
12. Notice of ex parte reexamination request 2229
13. Online 1703
14. Patents 1703
15. Published electronically 1703
16. Publishing disclaimers 1490
17. Reissue application filing notice 1430; 1441; 1441.01; 1443; 1452; 1457; 1470; 1703
18. Statutory Invention Registration (SIR) 1111
19. Trademarks 1703
Official inquiries 203.08(a)
Official Notice 2144.03
OIPE (SeeOffice of Initial Patent Examination (Office of Patent Application Processing))
"Old art" use in deciding request for reexamination 2242
Old combination 2173.05(j)
Omission in reply, inadvertent 710.02(c); 714.03; 804; 2266.01
Omnibus claim 2173.05(r); 2175
On-line search (See alsoElectronic databases) 901.06(a); 902.03(e); 2135
On sale (See alsoPublic Use) 2120.02; 2133.03; 2133.03(b); 2139.02; 2152.02(c); 2152.02(d)
1. Affidavit or declaration 715.10
2. Anticipation rejection 2133.03(b); 2152.02(d)
3. Buyer 2133.03(b)
4. Commercial activities 2133.03; 2133.03(c); 2133.03(e); 2133.03(e)(1); 2152.02(d)
5. Completion of the invention 2133.03; 2133.03(b); 2133.03(c); 2133.03(e)(1); 2133.03(e)(3)
  1. Admission of completion by 37 CFR 1.131 affidavit 2133.03(c)
6. Definition of 2133.03(b); 2152.02(d)
  1. Conditional sale 2133.03(b)
  2. Nonprofit sale 2133.03(b)
  3. Sale of rights 2133.03(b)
  4. Single sale 2133.03(b)
7. Delivery of offered goods 2133.03(b)
8. Device embodying process 2111.02
9. Evidence of (prior art publications) 2133.03(b)
10. Experimental use (See alsoExperimental use) 2133.03; 2133.03(e) - 2133.03(e)(7); 2152.02(d)
11. Goods "on hand" 2133.03(b)
12. "In this country" 2133.03(d)
13. Invention 2133.03(c)
14. Intent to sell 2133.03(b); 2133.03(e)(2)
15. Offer for sale 2133.03(b)
16. Policy considerations 2133.03
17. "Ready for patenting" 2133.03(c)
18. Reduction to practice 2133.03(c); 2133.03(e)
19. Sale by inventor or associate 2133.03(b)
20. Sale by third party 2133.03(b)
  1. Testing by third party 2133.03(e)(5); 2133.03(e)(7)
21. Sale of a process 2133.03(c)
22. Sale of "rights" 2133.03(b)
23. Secrecy 2133.03; 2133.03(b)
24. Supervision and control over invention 2133.03(e)(5); 2133.03(e)(7)
25. Test for determining if impermissible sale occurred 2133.03(b)
One Patent Service Gateway (OPSG) 711.01; 711.03(c)
Operating hours (SeeHours of operation)
Operative 2164.07; 2164.08(b)
Operative example 608.01(p)
Operative, Showing 608.03; 716
Opposition to issue of patent (SeeProtest)
Oral hearing in reexamination
1. Ex parte 2276
Oral hearing on appeal 1209
Order, citation of 707.06
Order granting ex parte reexamination 2246
Order of examination 708 - 708.03
1. Patentability report 705.01(b)
Order for compliance 1210.01
Ordering
1. Abandoned file 711.04(b); 901.01(a)
2. Foreign patent 901.05(c)
3. Patented file 711.04(b); 901.01(a)
4. Publication 901.06(b)
5. Reexamination, decision
  1. Ex parte 2246; 2247; 2247.01
Orders (See alsoPublication) ; 707.06
Ordinary and customary meaning of claim term 2106; 2111; 2111.01; 2173.01
1. Evidence of 2111.01
Original application (SeeNonprovisional application)
Original disclosure, inherent characteristics 608.04(a); 716.02(f)
Ornamentality lacking in design applications 1504.01(c)
Outstanding requirements 707.07(e)
Overcoming a reference, Right of priority 216; 2136.05(a); 2152.06
Overlapping applications
1. Same applicant 709.01; 715.01(a); 804; 804.02; 822
2. Same assignee 709.01; 715.01(b); 822; 2136.01; 2146 - 2146.03(a); 2148; 2152.06; 2154.01(d); 2154.02(c); 2158; 2158.01
3. Subject to joint research agreement 804; 804.02; 804.03; 2136.01; 2137; 2141.01; 2146.01 - 2146.03(a); 2151; 2152.07; 2154.02(c); 2156; 2158; 2158.01
Overlapping claims 804.02
Owner’s representative 400
Ownership and assignment 300; 717.02(a); 2146.02; 2146.03; 2154.02(c)
Ownership at time invention made 717.02(a); 2146; 2146.02
Ownership of applications filed subsequent to recording of assignment 306