- BASICS (FITF): Prior art expanded to include foreign public use, foreign on sale, and inventions “otherwise available to the public” before effective filing date of the claimed invention. 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(1) (AIA), unless that disclosure was made 1 year or less before effective filing date and (A) was made by inventor or one who obtained disclosed subject matter from inventor, or (B) had earlier been publicly disclosed by inventor or one who obtained disclosed subject matter from inventor. 35 U.S.C. § 102(b)(1) (AIA). Under Helsinn II (U.S. 01/22/2019), “a private commercial sale constitutes a disclosure under section 102(a)(1).” Sanho (Fed. Cir. 07/31/24). Under section 102(b)(1)(A), “a private or public sale by the inventor during the one-year grace period is not prior art.” Sanho (Fed. Cir. 07/31/24).
- Includes Foreign Published Applications And Patents, Other Than PCTs Designating U.S.: Because, unlike PCT publications designating U.S., foreign applications are not deemed published under 35 U.S.C. §§ 122(b), 374. See USPTO training document.
- Foreign On Sale And Public Use Activity On Equal Footing With U.S. Activity: No distinction under FITF regime.
- AIA’s Catchall Phrase “Or Otherwise Available To The Public” Did Not Alter Meaning Of The “On Sale” Bar (FITF): “The catchall phrase ‘or otherwise available to the public’ … [did not] alter[] the meaning of the ‘on sale’ bar.” Helsinn II (U.S. 01/22/2019), aff’g, Helsinn (Fed. Cir. 05/01/17) (rev’g bench-trial judgment of no on sale bar of both pre-AIA and FITF claims; pre-critical date patent owner entered exclusive distributor and requirements supply agreement with distributor agreeing to supply two doses (one claimed) of the claimed drug product at a specified minimum price, but could terminate if FDA did not approve either dose, which agreement was made public except for price and precise doses). In Pfaff, “this Court determined that an invention was ‘on sale’ within the meaning of an earlier version of §102(a) when it was ‘the subject of a commercial offer for sale’ and ‘ready for patenting.’ We did not further require that the sale make the details of the invention available to the public. In light of this earlier construction, we determine that the reenactment of the phrase ‘on sale’ in the AIA did not alter this meaning. Accordingly, a commercial sale to a third party who is required to keep the invention confidential may place the invention ‘on sale’ under the AIA.” Helsinn II (U.S. 01/22/2019). Therefore, the Patent Office view to the contrary is not the law. MPEP 2152.02(c) (R-11.2013) (“public use under AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) is limited to those uses that are available to the public.”); MPEP 2152.02(d) (“The ‘or otherwise available to the public’ residual clause of AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1), however, indicates that AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) does not cover secret sales or offers for sale. For example, an activity (such as a sale, offer for sale, or other commercial activity) is secret (non-public) if it is among individuals having an obligation of confidentiality to the inventor”).
- AIA Did Not Change Existing Law That Patentee’s Pre-Critical Date Sale Of Product Made In Secret By Claimed Process Creates An On-Sale Bar: Under Helsinn II (U.S. 01/22/2019), “on sale” bar under AIA section 102(a)(1) extends to pre-critical date sales of products made by claimed process, as was the case under pre-AIA law. Celanese (Fed. Cir. 08/12/24) (aff’g ITC that patent applicant’s pre-critical date sales of product made outside U.S. in secret by patented process invalidates the claims under AIA section 102(a)(1): “for patented processes, the on-sale bar applies when one commercially exploits the process by seeking compensation from the public for carrying out that process before the critical date”).
- “Otherwise Available” Art: Preserve argument that oral presentations qualify as prior art. See MPEP 2152.02(e) (“Even if a document or other disclosure is not a printed publication, or a transaction is not a sale, either may be prior art under the ‘otherwise available to the public’ provision of AIA 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(1), provided that the claimed invention is made sufficiently available to the public.”).
35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(1) (FITF): “(a) Novelty; Prior Art.- A person shall be entitled to a patent unless—(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.”
35 U.S.C. § 102(b)(1) (FITF): “1. DISCLOSURES MADE 1 YEAR OR LESS BEFORE THE EFFECTIVE FILING DATE OF THE CLAIMED INVENTION- A disclosure made 1 year or less before the effective filing date of a claimed invention shall not be prior art to the claimed invention under subsection (a)(1) if—
- the disclosure was made by the inventor or joint inventor or by another who obtained the subject matter disclosed directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor; or
- the subject matter disclosed had, before such disclosure, been publicly disclosed by the inventor or a joint inventor or another who obtained the subject matter disclosed directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor.”