Information disclosure statement

If you are the inventor and are representing yourself (pro se), then you will need to supply the information yourself to the USPTO. The information submitted must be listed on an information disclosure statement, and the forms can be found on the USPTO website. Briefly, there is a section for U.S. patent and published patent applications, foreign patent applications, and patents as well as nonpatent references. For U.S. patents and patent publications, only a citation is necessary. For non-U.S. patent references or any other reference, the citation must be indicated on the form and a hardcopy of the reference must be provided. If the reference is written in a language other than English, a summary of the relevancy of the document in English or an English translation must be provided. 

This means you should verify with the attorney or agent that any information or references that you believe are material to patentability have been included in the information disclosure statement sent to the USPTO. If not, it is reasonable to ask why not, to make sure that there has not been an oversight or misunderstanding in regard to the information you provided. 

Because the proceedings in the PTO are ex parte in nature, the applicant has a "duty of candor" to be forthcoming in dealing with the PTO throughout the prosecution of the patent application. This duty of candor includes providing the PTO with all information that may be material to the examination of applicant s patent application (e.g., potential prior art) of which the applicant is aware. The duty of candor does not require the applicant to carry out a literature or prior art search. However, if the applicant or the applicant s representative is aware of relevant prior art, it must be disclosed. Normally, such relevant prior art is provided to the PTO in an Information Disclosure Statement (IDS). The duty to disclose relevant prior art continues throughout the prosecution of the application. Therefore, if the applicant later becomes aware of relevant prior art, including prior art found by patent... 

Sponsors of broadcast advertisements are also required to present a brief summary or, alternatively, may make adequate provision. .. for dissemination of the approved or permitted package labeling in connection with the broadcast presentation (21 CFR 202.1(e)(1)). This is referred to as the adequate provision requirement. The regulations thus specify that the major statement, together with adequate provision for dissemination of the product s approved labeling, can provide the information disclosure required for broadcast advertisements. 

Informed consent is in some sense the ethical cornerstone on which human subjects protection rests. It requires that individuals understand their part in a study and the potential consequences, and are free to choose to participate. As Levine has argued, the consent process should include specific elements an invitation to participate a statement of the purpose of the study the basis of participant selection and explanation of procedures, risks, and discomforts how untoward consequences will be handled the benefits of participation alternatives to participation financial consideration confidentiality opportunities for continuing disclosure and measures for ensuring that a person s decision to participate is voluntary (Levine, 1981). 

D. Disclosure in the advertisement that pharmacists, physicians (or other health care providers), or veterinarians (in the case of animal drugs) may provide additional product information to consumers. This statement should communicate clearly that the referenced professional is a source of additional product information. 

As one moves down the chain of use, to the converter, the packer and finally to the retailer, full disclosure of this compositional information and manufacturing history can be difficult to obtain and verify. These users will require a compliance statement from the primary manufacturer but will need also to conduct migration tests themselves to ensure that the conversion process and conditions of actual use, do not cause unacceptable migration. 

Patent applications have fixed formats that often vary between patent offices but nevertheless require a similar information submission a background, summary, details of invention, and so on. The patent application must be comprehensive to demonstrate novelty and the inventive step in light of prior art it should be understood that the purpose is not to fool the patent examiner into allowance, but to protect the invention from competitors who will challenge it, should it be worth anything. A full disclosure is required to keep the infringers out, to decrease the chance of their success in knocking out a patent. Additional statements are included defining the features of the invention for use as a basis for specific... 

In the United States, public companies are required to report their financial performance quarterly, with an annual report required at the end of the fiscal year. Non-U.S. companies with a stock trading on a U.S. stock exchange must also file quarterly and annual statements. Even foreign, public companies not on a U.S. exchange file annual reports for use by investors, analysts, and employees. Annual and quarterly reports are often found on the companies websites listed under investor relations. In the United States, these reports are available from the Securities and Exchange Commission (http //www.sec.gov) at no charge. Financial information on private companies is much more difficult to find. Users must depend on disclosure by the private company or rely on primary research vendors for information. 

If an agent was involved in the sale, the contract must state that the agent is aware of the obligation to ensure compliance with the Disclosure Rule and inform the seller of the seller s obligations. The seller, buyer, and agent must certify their statements concerning lead. ... 

Safety auditors should collect the following financial information relating to safety input (1) If there is safety assets (2) Safety spending does take place (3) Safety assets are owned by the audited entity (4) Structural condition of safe assets (5) Safety assets records are complete (6) The safety asset valuation is appropriate (7) Ending balance of safe assets is correct (8) Disclosure of safety assets in the accounting statements is appropriate ... 

Comment is solicited as to whether mitigation credit should be given under Step II(I) absent full disclosure of all documents, statements or other material, including privileged information. 

This chapter presents an overview of the methods of polymerization including those found in the patent literature. It is hoped that by this means some of the principles used to prepare commercially useful PVC will emerge. Since much of the data presented here is gathered from patent disclosures, we cannot make any positive statements as to the reliability of the information. The inclusion of material from patents and the citation of specific patents should not be understood as recommendations to use any of the cited patents. 

When a chemical engineer notices behavior that is possibly or potentially unethical, the question is. What action should he or she take As noted in the AIChE code of ethics and in the NSPE code of ethics, there are specific avenues for action in the form of heuristics. For exanple, the AIChE code requires members to formally advise their employers or clients (and consider further disclosure, if warranted) if they perceive that a consequence of their duties will adversely affect the present or future health or safety of their colleagues or the public. The code also requires chemical engineers to offer objective criticism of the work of others. The code states that chemical engineers shall issue statements or present information only in an objective and truthful manner. It is clear that one has the responsibility to tell those who engage one s professional services when there is a problem or potential problem. It is clear that one should be truthful. What is not so clear is what a chemical engineer should do if, after such disclosure, the situation persists. 

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