605.03(a)    In General

When an inter partes proceeding before the Board is settled, the parties should promptly notify the Board of the settlement. It is not necessary that the parties file a copy of their settlement agreement with the Board. Rather, they may simply file electronically a stipulation stating the desired disposition of the proceeding (i.e., "It is hereby stipulated that the opposition be sustained," "It is hereby stipulated that the petition for cancellation be dismissed with prejudice," or the like). If there is a counterclaim, the stipulation should also state the desired disposition of the counterclaim. If, in a proceeding with a counterclaim, the parties stipulate to the disposition of the claim against which the counterclaim was brought, but there is no stipulation to dispose of the counterclaim, and there is no withdrawal of the counterclaim, consent by one party to entry of judgment against itself on the counterclaim, etc., the counterclaim will go forward, notwithstanding the fact that judgment has been entered on the original claim. See TBMP § 606.

If the proceeding is to be dismissed, the stipulation should specify whether the dismissal is to be with prejudice or without prejudice. If no specification is made, the Board, in its action dismissing the proceeding, will simply state that the proceeding is being dismissed "in accordance with the agreement of the parties." However, if the agreement itself also fails to indicate whether the dismissal is to be with or without prejudice, at some later time a dispute may arise between the parties as to whether they intended the dismissal to be with or without prejudice. A clear specification in the stipulation may avoid future trouble.

A settlement agreement may simply call for a party to withdraw with, or without, prejudice, or with, or without, consent. In such a case, the parties need not file a settlement stipulation, because the withdrawal, when filed, will result in a final disposition of the proceeding in accordance with the applicable rules. [ Note 1.] See TBMP § 544 for information regarding settlements wherein the parties agree to vacate or set aside a final judgment of the Board.

A settlement stipulation, which is not in accordance with the applicable rules and the statute, will be given no effect by the Board.

NOTES:

 1.   37 C.F.R. § 2.134  and 37 C.F.R. § 2.135.