【102】美專102(e)的整理

此篇僅整理2000年11月29日以後的部分，更早之前的部分請自行參照 MPEP。

A person shall be entitled to a patent unless
(e)the invention was described in —
(1) an application for patent, published under section 122(b), by another filed in the United States before the invention by the applicant for patent or
(2) a patent granted on an application for patent by another filed in the United States before the invention by the applicant for patent,
[(3)]except that an international application filed under the treaty defined in section 351(a) shall have the effects for the purposes of this subsection of an application filed in the United States only if the international application designated the United States and was published under Article 21(2) of such treaty in the English language.



●引證案於12 June 2002號公開，符合 35 U.S.C. 102(e)(1) 的規定，故引證案的“Critical Reference Date”為它在美國的有效申請日 08 Dec. 2000。
●引證案於03 Dec 2002號獲准專利，符合 35 U.S.C. 102(e)(2) 的規定，故引證案的“Critical Reference Date”為它在美國的有效申請日 08 Dec. 2000。
●會將102(e)分成(1)及(2)的原因是：在美國並在某些條件下申請人可以決定是否要早期公開。
● 請留意“但書”的部分，PCT的申請案符合“designated the United States”、“published under Article 21(2)”、“in the English”的話，PCT的申請日亦可作為102(e)的“Critical Reference Date”。

要了解102(e)，應先從如何建立美國專利案或美國專利申請案的“Critical Reference Date”，請自行參照 MPEP 706.02(f)(1) 的部分，此文章中僅列出較容易造成誤解的地方：

（1） 主張國外優先權的申請案，其國際優先權日不能作為102(e)的“prior art date”，它的 102(e) prior art date 日期為它在美國的有效申請日。主張國內優先權的申請案，其國內優先權日可以作為102(e)的“prior art date”。參見以下例2及例3。
（2）PCT申請案的話僅有符合“但書”的部分才可有102(e)的“prior art date”，但是若不符合但書的三個條件如不以英文公開的話，就無法取得任何102(e)的“prior art date”。參見MPEP此部分的例4及例5。

Example 2: Reference Publication and Patent of 35 U.S.C. 111(a) Application with Priority/Benefit Claim to a Prior U.S. Provisional or Nonprovisional Application.



For reference publications and patents of patent applications filed under 35 U.S.C. 111(a), the prior art dates under 35 U.S.C. 102(e) accorded to these references are the earliest effective U.S. filing dates. Thus, a publication and patent of a 35 U.S.C. 111(a) application, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to a prior U.S. provisional application or claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 120 of a prior nonprovisional application, would be accorded the earlier filing date as its prior art date under 35 U.S.C. 102(e), assuming the earlier-filed application has proper support for the subject matter as required by 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or 120.

Example 3: Reference Publication and Patent of 35 U.S.C. 111(a) Application with 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) Benefit Claim to a Prior Foreign Application.



For reference publications and patents of patent applications filed under 35 U.S.C. 111(a), the prior art dates under 35 U.S.C. 102(e) accorded to these references are the earliest effective U.S. filing dates. No benefit of the filing date of the foreign application is given under 35 U.S.C. 102(e) for prior art purposes (In re Hilmer, 149 USPQ 480 (CCPA 1966)).