Delete Pages From Legal Rhode Island Patents Forms For Free

You can change the claims of a patent without filing a new application unless you are making a new claim. If you are making a new claim, you will need to file a new patent application. Federal regulations governing the USPTO provide specific rules for amending patent claims.

Rule 7. (1) The fees payable under section 142 in respect of the grant of patents and applications therefor, and in respect of other matters for which fees are required to be payable under the Act shall be as specified in the First Schedule.

Patent rules forbid the addition of new matter once an application has been filed, so any modifications to the specification should serve to clarify or possibly delete subject matter. For example, you might be able to edit a paragraph to specify a feature that was shown in the originally filed drawings.

Rule 29. (1) When it is found that the invention so far as claimed in any claim of the complete specification, is claimed in any claim of any other specification falling within clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 13, the applicant shall be so informed and shall be afforded an opportunity to amend his specification ...

While you generally cannot change the description in an existing patent application, you can file a certain continuing application to add new matter or make changes. Such an application is called a continuation-in-part, or simply CIP.

In addition, people can also be removed from a patent application if their contribution to the patent claims have become obsolete. Incorrect inventorship of an issued patent can lead to ownership disputes and/or invalidity of the patent-at-issue, so be sure to get the inventors right when filing!