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Certified copies of patent applications as filed do not include an indication of assignment documents. Applicants desiring an indication of assignment documents of record should request separately certified copies of assignment documents and submit the fees required by 37 CFR 1.19.
When the assignment condition of an application is significant, such as when applications of different inventors contain conflicting claims or there is a question as to who should direct prosecution, it is necessary for the examiner to obtain assignment information from PALM. See MPEP § 320.
In the case of a division or continuation application, a prior assignment recorded against the original application is applied to the division or continuation application because the assignment recorded against the original application gives the assignee rights to the subject matter common to both applications.
In the case of a substitute or continuation-in-part application, a prior assignment of the original application is not applied to the substitute or continuation-in-part application because the assignment recorded against the original application gives the assignee rights to only the subject matter common to both applications. Substitute or continuation-in-part applications require a new assignment if they are to be issued to an assignee.
The front page of the printed patent includes all identifying parent data of continuation-in-part, continuation, divisional, and reissue applications. It should be noted, however, that inclusion of this information does not necessarily indicate that the claims are entitled to the benefit of the earlier filing date.
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