ABSTRACT
WhatIsInterference? AninterferenceisaU.S.PatentandTrademarkOfficeproceedingto determinewhichoftwoormorepartieswasthefirsttoinvent(andthus whichisentitledtoapatent),inthosecaseswherethetwopartieshave eachfiledpatentapplicationsclaimingsubstantiallythesamepatentable invention(andthus"interfere"witheachother).Inadditiontointerferencesbetweenpatentapplications,theU.S.PatentandTrademark Officemaydeclareaninterferencebetweenapatentapplicationandan unexpiredpatentwheneachcontainsclaimstosubstantiallythesame invention,andwhentheclaimintheapplicationwasmadepriortoone yearfromthedateonwhichthepatentwasgranted.
