Legal Definitions - abandonment of contest

Definition:Abandonment of contest refers to the withdrawal of a party from a legal dispute or competition.

In the context of patents, abandonment of contest occurs when a party withdraws from an interference contest. This withdrawal must be in writing, and the contest is dissolved as to the abandoning party.

Example 1: John and Jane are both seeking a patent for a similar invention. They enter into an interference contest to determine who has the right to the patent. However, John decides to abandon the contest and withdraws his claim. As a result, the contest is dissolved as to John, and Jane is awarded the patent.

Example 2: In a sports competition, a team may abandon the contest if they feel they cannot win or if they have suffered too many injuries. By abandoning the contest, they forfeit the game and the opposing team is declared the winner.

These examples illustrate how abandonment of contest can occur in different contexts, but the basic principle remains the same: a party withdraws from a legal dispute or competition, and the contest is dissolved as to that party.