§ 42.401 Definitions.

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Title 37—Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights > CHAPTER I—UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE > SUBCHAPTER A—GENERAL > PART 42—TRIAL PRACTICE BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD > Subpart E—Derivation

This text was captured on Sep 22, 2026. It is a snapshot, not a live feed, so check the official code before relying on it.

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In addition to the definitions in § 42.2, the following definitions apply to proceedings under this subpart:

Agreement or understanding under 35 U.S.C. 135(e) means settlement for the purposes of § 42.74.

Applicant includes a reissue applicant.

Application includes both an application for an original patent and an application for a reissued patent.

First publication means either a patent or an application publication under 35 U.S.C. 122(b), including a publication of an international application designating the United States as provided by 35 U.S.C. 374.

Petitioner means a patent applicant who petitions for a determination that another party named in an earlier-filed patent application allegedly derived a claimed invention from an inventor named in the petitioner's application and filed the earlier application without authorization.

Respondent means a party other than the petitioner.

Same or substantially the same means patentably indistinct.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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§ 42.401 Definitions. · 37 CFR § 42.401 | Frix