Legal Definitions - reasons for allowance

REASONS FOR ALLOWANCE

Reasons for allowance refer to the justifications provided by a patent examiner for granting a patent application. These reasons are outlined in a document called a RULE109 STATEMENT.

Example 1: A patent application for a new type of smartphone is submitted to the patent office. The examiner reviews the application and determines that the invention is novel, non-obvious, and useful. The examiner provides a RULE109 STATEMENT outlining these reasons for allowance, and the patent is granted.

Example 2: A patent application for a perpetual motion machine is submitted to the patent office. The examiner reviews the application and determines that the invention violates the laws of thermodynamics and is therefore impossible. The examiner provides a RULE109 STATEMENT outlining this reason for rejection, and the patent is not granted.

Reasons for allowance are the justifications provided by a patent examiner for granting a patent application. In Example 1, the examiner determines that the invention meets the criteria for patentability and provides a RULE109 STATEMENT outlining these reasons. In Example 2, the examiner determines that the invention is impossible and provides a RULE109 STATEMENT outlining this reason for rejection. These examples illustrate how the reasons for allowance or rejection are critical in determining whether a patent application is granted or not.