abstract | - A continuation application (also called a continuation) is a second patent application filed for the same invention claimed in a prior nonprovisional application. Continuations may be filed following either the rejection or the allowance of claims. During the patent prosecution process, a patent examiner considers the claims and arguments presented by the applicant in deciding whether to allow or reject the claims of the patent application. Upon the second examination, the examiner may make a rejection “final.” The applicant has several options following this “final rejection,” including abandoning the application, appealing the rejection to the PTO’s Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences, or filing a continuation.
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