Legal Definitions - amendment after final action

An amendment after final action refers to a modification made to a patent application after it has been rejected by an examiner. The amendment is usually made to narrow or eliminate some claims in response to the rejection.

For example, if an examiner rejects a patent application because some of the claims are too broad, the applicant may submit an amendment after final action to narrow those claims and make them more specific.

It's important to note that an amendment after final action cannot add new claims to the application. It can only make changes in form and cannot raise new issues for the examiner.

Other types of amendments related to patent applications include:

• Amendment after allowance: An amendment submitted after the patent application has been approved.
• Amendment after appeal: An amendment made after an appeal is taken from a patent application's final rejection.
• Amendment after payment of issue fee: An amendment made after the application has been allowed and the issue fee paid.
• Preliminary amendment: An amendment filed before the patent office issues an office action on a patent application.

Overall, amendments are a way for applicants to refine their patent applications and address any issues raised by the examiner. However, there are limitations on the types of amendments that can be made at different stages of the application process.