1.103    Suspension of action by the Office.

    • (a) Suspension for cause. On request of the applicant, the Office may grant a suspension of action by the Office under this paragraph for good and sufficient cause. The Office will not suspend action if a reply by applicant to an Office action is outstanding. Any petition for suspension of action under this paragraph must specify a period of suspension not exceeding six months. Any petition for suspension of action under this paragraph must also include:
      • (1) A showing of good and sufficient cause for suspension of action; and
      • (2) The fee set forth in § 1.17(g), unless such cause is the fault of the Office.
    • (b) Limited suspension of action in a continued prosecution application (CPA) filed under § 1.53(d)  . On request of the applicant, the Office may grant a suspension of action by the Office under this paragraph in a continued prosecution application filed under § 1.53(d)  for a period not exceeding three months. Any request for suspension of action under this paragraph must be filed with the request for an application filed under § 1.53(d), specify the period of suspension, and include the processing fee set forth in § 1.17(i).
    • (c) Limited suspension of action after a request for continued application (RCE) under § 1.114  . On request of the applicant, the Office may grant a suspension of action by the Office under this paragraph after the filing of a request for continued examination in compliance with § 1.114  for a period not exceeding three months. Any request for suspension of action under this paragraph must be filed with the request for continued examination under § 1.114, specify the period of suspension, and include the processing fee set forth in § 1.17(i).
    • (d) Deferral of examination. On request of the applicant, the Office may grant a deferral of examination under the conditions specified in this paragraph for a period not extending beyond three years from the earliest filing date for which a benefit is claimed under title 35, United States Code. A request for deferral of examination under this paragraph must include the publication fee set forth in § 1.18(d)  and the processing fee set forth in § 1.17(i ). A request for deferral of examination under this paragraph will not be granted unless:
      • (1) The application is an original utility or plant application filed under § 1.53(b)  or resulting from entry of an international application into the national stage after compliance with §  1.495;
      • (2) The applicant has not filed a nonpublication request under § 1.213(a), or has filed a request under § 1.213(b)  to rescind a previously filed nonpublication request;
      • (3) The application is in condition for publication as provided in § 1.211(c); and
      • (4) The Office has not issued either an Office action under 35 U.S.C. 132  or a notice of allowance under 35 U.S.C. 151.
    • (e) Notice of suspension on initiative of the Office. The Office will notify applicant if the Office suspends action by the Office on an application on its own initiative.
    • (f) Suspension of action for public safety or defense. The Office may suspend action by the Office by order of the Director if the following conditions are met:
      • (1) The application is owned by the United States;
      • (2) Publication of the invention may be detrimental to the public safety or defense; and
      • (3) The appropriate department or agency requests such suspension.
    • (g) Statutory invention registration . The Office will suspend action by the Office for the entire pendency of an application if the Office has accepted a request to publish a statutory invention registration in the application, except for purposes relating to patent interference proceedings under part 41, subpart D, of this title.

[24 FR 10332, Dec. 22, 1959; 33 FR 5624, Apr. 11, 1968; paras. (a) and (b), 47 FR 41276, Sept. 17, 1982, effective Oct. 1, 1982; para. (d), 49 FR 48416, Dec. 12, 1984, effective Feb. 11, 1985; para. (d), 50 FR 9381, Mar. 7, 1985, effective May 8, 1985; para. (a), 54 FR 6893, Feb. 15, 1989, effective Apr. 17, 1989; para. (a) revised, 60 FR 20195, Apr. 25, 1995, effective June 8, 1995; para. (a) revised, 62 FR 53131, Oct. 10, 1997, effective Dec. 1, 1997; revised, 65 FR 50092, Aug. 16, 2000, effective Aug. 16, 2000; paras. (d) through (f) redesignated as (e) through (g) and para. (d) added, 65 FR 57024, Sept. 20, 2000, effective Nov. 29, 2000; para. (d)(1) revised, 67 FR 520, Jan. 4, 2002, effective Apr. 1, 2002; para. (f) revised, 68 FR 14332, Mar. 25, 2003, effective May 1, 2003; para. (g) revised, 69 FR 49959, Aug. 12, 2004, effective Sept. 13, 2004; para. (a)(2) revised, 69 FR 56481, Sept. 21, 2004, effective Nov. 22, 2004]