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    <RIN_INFO>
        <RIN>0651-AC58</RIN>
        <PUBLICATION>
            <PUBLICATION_ID>201804</PUBLICATION_ID>
            <PUBLICATION_TITLE>Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions</PUBLICATION_TITLE>
        </PUBLICATION>
        <AGENCY>
            <CODE>0651</CODE>
            <NAME>Patent and Trademark Office</NAME>
            <ACRONYM>PTO</ACRONYM>
        </AGENCY>
        <PARENT_AGENCY>
            <CODE>0600</CODE>
            <NAME>Department of Commerce</NAME>
            <ACRONYM>DOC</ACRONYM>
        </PARENT_AGENCY>
        <RULE_TITLE>Revision of the Duty to Disclose Information in Patent Applications and Reexamination Proceedings</RULE_TITLE>
        <ABSTRACT><![CDATA[<!DOCTYPE html>
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<head>
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<body>
<p>The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office or PTO) is revising the duty to disclose information in patent applications and reexamination proceedings in light of the decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Federal Circuit) in Therasense, Inc. v. Becton, Dickinson &amp; Co, 649 F.3d 1276 (Fed. Cir. 2011) (en banc). Specifically, the Office is revising the materiality standard for the duty to disclose information to match the "but-for" materiality standard for inequitable conduct as set forth in Therasense. The Office is also incorporating an explicit reference to "affirmative egregious misconduct." The materiality standard set forth in Therasense should reduce the frequency with which applicants and practitioners are being charged with inequitable conduct, consequently improving the disclosure practice before the Office by reducing the incentive to submit information disclosure statements containing marginally relevant information and enabling applicants to be more forthcoming and helpful to the Office. Additionally, harmonization of the materiality standards is simpler for the patent system as a whole.</p>
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        <PRIORITY_CATEGORY>Info./Admin./Other</PRIORITY_CATEGORY>
        <RIN_STATUS>Previously Published in The Unified Agenda</RIN_STATUS>
        <RULE_STAGE>Final Rule Stage</RULE_STAGE>
        <MAJOR>No</MAJOR>
        <UNFUNDED_MANDATE_LIST>
            <UNFUNDED_MANDATE>No</UNFUNDED_MANDATE>
        </UNFUNDED_MANDATE_LIST>
        <EO_13771_DESIGNATION>Not subject to, not significant</EO_13771_DESIGNATION>
        <CFR_LIST>
            <CFR>37 CFR 1.555</CFR>
            <CFR>37 CFR 1.56</CFR>
        </CFR_LIST>
        <LEGAL_AUTHORITY_LIST>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>35 U.S.C. 2(b)(2)</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
        </LEGAL_AUTHORITY_LIST>
        <LEGAL_DLINE_LIST/>
        <RPLAN_ENTRY>No</RPLAN_ENTRY>
        <TIMETABLE_LIST>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>NPRM</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>07/21/2011</TTBL_DATE>
                <FR_CITATION>76 FR 43631</FR_CITATION>
            </TIMETABLE>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>NPRM Comment Period End</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>09/19/2011</TTBL_DATE>
            </TIMETABLE>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>Second NPRM</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>10/28/2016</TTBL_DATE>
                <FR_CITATION>81 FR 74987</FR_CITATION>
            </TIMETABLE>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>Second NPRM Comment Period End</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>12/27/2016</TTBL_DATE>
            </TIMETABLE>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>Final Rule</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>06/00/2018</TTBL_DATE>
            </TIMETABLE>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>Final Rule Effective</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>07/00/2018</TTBL_DATE>
            </TIMETABLE>
        </TIMETABLE_LIST>
        <RFA_REQUIRED>No</RFA_REQUIRED>
        <SMALL_ENTITY_LIST>
            <SMALL_ENTITY>No</SMALL_ENTITY>
        </SMALL_ENTITY_LIST>
        <GOVT_LEVEL_LIST>
            <GOVT_LEVEL>None</GOVT_LEVEL>
        </GOVT_LEVEL_LIST>
        <FEDERALISM>No</FEDERALISM>
        <ENERGY_AFFECTED>No</ENERGY_AFFECTED>
        <PRINT_PAPER>No</PRINT_PAPER>
        <INTERNATIONAL_INTEREST>No</INTERNATIONAL_INTEREST>
        <AGENCY_CONTACT_LIST>
            <CONTACT>
                <FIRST_NAME>Raul</FIRST_NAME>
                <LAST_NAME>Tamayo</LAST_NAME>
                <AGENCY>
                    <CODE>0651</CODE>
                    <NAME>Patent and Trademark Office</NAME>
                    <ACRONYM>PTO</ACRONYM>
                </AGENCY>
                <PHONE>571 272-7728</PHONE>
                <FAX>571 273-7728</FAX>
                <EMAIL>raul.tamayo@uspto.gov</EMAIL>
                <MAILING_ADDRESS>
                    <STREET_ADDRESS>600 Dulany Street, P.O. Box 1450,</STREET_ADDRESS>
                    <CITY>Alexandria</CITY>
                    <STATE>VA</STATE>
                    <ZIP>22313</ZIP>
                </MAILING_ADDRESS>
            </CONTACT>
        </AGENCY_CONTACT_LIST>
    </RIN_INFO>
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