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1.59 Expungement of information or copy of papers in application file.

  • (a)
    • (1) Information in an application will not be expunged, except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section or § 41.7(a) or § 42.7(a) of this title.
    • (2) Information forming part of the original disclosure ( i.e., written specification including the claims, drawings, and any preliminary amendment present on the filing date of the application) will not be expunged from the application file.
  • (b) An applicant may request that the Office expunge information, other than what is excluded by paragraph (a)(2) of this section, by filing a petition under this paragraph. Any petition to expunge information from an application must include the fee set forth in § 1.17(g) and establish to the satisfaction of the Director that the expungement of the information is appropriate in which case a notice granting the petition for expungement will be provided.
  • (c) Upon request by an applicant and payment of the fee specified in § 1.19(b) , the Office will furnish copies of an application, unless the application has been disposed of ( see §§ 1.53(e), (f), and (g) ). The Office cannot provide or certify copies of an application that has been disposed of.

[48 FR 2696, Jan. 20, 1983, effective Feb. 27, 1983; 49 FR 554, Jan. 4, 1984, effective Apr. 1, 1984; 49 FR 48416, Dec. 12, 1984, effective Feb. 11, 1985; 50 FR 23123, May 31, 1985, effective Feb. 11, 1985; revised, 60 FR 20195, Apr. 25, 1995, effective June 8, 1995; revised, 62 FR 53132, Oct. 10, 1997, effective Dec. 1, 1997; para. (b) revised, 65 FR 54604, Sept. 8, 2000, effective Nov. 7, 2000; para. (b) revised, 68 FR 14332, Mar. 25, 2003, effective May 1, 2003; revised, 68 FR 38611, June 30, 2003, effective July 30, 2003; para. (a)(1) revised, 69 FR 49959, Aug. 12, 2004, effective Sept. 13, 2004; para. (b) revised, 69 FR 56481, Sept. 21, 2004, effective Nov. 22, 2004; para. (a)(1) revised, 77 FR 46615, Aug. 6, 2012, effective Sept. 16, 2012; para. (a)(2) revised, 77 FR 48776, Aug. 14, 2012, effective Sept. 16, 2012]