IDS 責任期間到什麼時候結束? - 專利

※ 引述《piglauhk (我要當陽光型男!!)》之銘言：
: 最近想到一個問題 想請教一下各位先進
: IDS 的責任期間為何?
: 目前查到的資料是:
: 若前案(PA)在核準後、領證前出現
: 則自PA出現後3個月內可以提交IDS而不用提RCE
: 亦即領證前出現的PR基本上都要提交PTO(?)
: 但敝人的問題在於 領證後呢? 領證後有提交IDS的義務嗎?
: § 1.56 Duty to disclose information material to patentability.
: Each individual associated with the filing and prosecution of a patent
: application has a duty of candor and good faith in dealing with the Office,
: which includes a duty to disclose to the Office all information known to that
: individual to be material to patentability as defined in this section. The
: duty to disclose information exists with respect to each pending claim until
: the claim is cancelled or withdrawn from consideration, or the application
: becomes abandoned.
: 提出專利申請者....具有揭露可能影響該案專利性之己知文件之義務
: 該義務於 CLAIM被撤回、除消、或申請案被放棄時 方為中止
: 領證 好像不太符合上開 被撤回、除消、或申請被放棄 的要件...
: 另外上開要件好像又不以申請期間為限? 搞不懂 (．＿．?)
: 故此 想請教一下各位先進 美國專利在領證後 申請人是否具提交IDS之義務?
: 若具有相關義務 又沒執行的話 是否得以為主張專利無效之理由?
: 以上 敬請先進們助為解惑 謝謝
個人認為領證後就沒有這個義務
原因是如法條所載The duty...exists with respect to each "pending claim" unil...
領證後的claim本身就不符合pending claim的要件
故應無這個義務再去揭露領證後所知悉的資訊

另外
在Kimberly A. Moore(現任Fed Cir.法官)所著的Patent Litigaiton and Strategy書中
也明示了
"To succeed on a charge of ineqitable conduct, the accused infringer must prove
that the patentee withheld material infromation from the PTO [during
prosecution of the patent] with an intent to deceive"

所以個人認為這個duty of candor and good faith應僅存在於prosecution期間

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