715.03(a)(2)(D)   No Time Remaining in Response Period – Abandon for Incomplete Response

If the examining attorney is not persuaded by the request for reconsideration and the applicant has not made a good-faith effort to comply with the outstanding requirements and/or to overcome all outstanding refusals, and there is no time remaining in the response period, the application must be deemed abandoned due to incomplete response. The examining attorney must issue an "Abandoned Due to Incomplete Response" action.

If the examining attorney denies the request for reconsideration and holds the application abandoned for incomplete response, the applicant may file a petition to the Director under 37 C.F.R. §2.146 to reverse the examining attorney’s holding of abandonment. However, the Director will reverse the examining attorney’s action on petition only if there is clear procedural error (see TMEP §706.01) or abuse of discretion. In re GTE Educ. Servs., 34 USPQ2d 1478, 1479-80 (Comm'r Pats. 1994); In re Legendary Inc., 26 USPQ2d 1478, 1479 (Comm’r Pats. 1992); TMEP §1713.01. The unintentional delay standard of 37 C.F.R. §2.66 does not apply in this situation. See TMEP §§1713.02 and 1714.01(f)(ii).