RE: Scary! wHaT sCarEs mE iS the fact that ISD's Patent Application Received FINAL REJECTION !!
Patent Application number : 11/986,650
01-19-2012Date Forwarded to Examiner
01-09-2012Request for Continued Examination (RCE)
01-19-2012Disposal for a RCE / CPA / R129
01-09-2012Workflow - Request for RCE - Begin
11-30-2011Mail Advisory Action (PTOL - 303)
11-29-2011Advisory Action (PTOL-303)
11-29-2011Date Forwarded to Examiner
11-22-2011Amendment after Final Rejection
10-28-2011Mail Final Rejection (PTOL - 326)
10-24-2011Final Rejection
Explanation of abbreviation RCE
Request for Continued Examination (RCE)
The second type of response to a final rejection that is considered fully responsive is a RCE. An RCE is a type of continuing application. The RCE allows the applicant to file a second application to keep the prosecution of the first parent application alive after it has received a final rejection. The RCE application stays with the same Examiner that was reviewing the parent application and keeps the same serial number, yet the final rejection of the first parent application is removed. RCE's can be thought of as simply paying an additional fee to buy another full examination of the application. A potential problem with RCE applications is that they stay with the same Examiner who will often repeat the same arguments without being receptive to new arguments.
iSign received a FINAL REJECTION of their patent application on October 24th 2011 which was then mailed out on the 28th of October. ISD then put in for a Request Continued Examination so it its back to pending again. See cut and paste of patent application milestones noting most recent is top in the timeline.