Authorities Cited: United States Patent and Trademark Office U.S. Patent No. 6,984,791 United States Code 5 U.S.C. § 553 5 U.S.C. § 553(b) 5 U.S.C. § 553(c) 5 U.S.C. § 706 28 U.S.C. § 1295(a)(1) 35 U.S.C. § 2 35 U.S.C. § 2(a)(2) 35 U.S.C. § 2(a)(2)(A) 35 U.S.C. § 2(a)(2)(B) 35 U.S.C. § 2(b)(2) 35 U.S.C. § 2(b)(2)(A) 35 U.S.C. § 102(g) 35 U.S.C. § 120 35 U.S.C. § 251 35 U.S.C. § 252 35 U.S.C. § 311 35 U.S.C. § 314 44 U.S.C. § 1507 Code of Federal Regulations 37 C.F.R. § 1.53(b) 37 C.F.R. § 1.53(d) 37 C.F.R. § 1.902 37 C.F.R. § 1.913 37 C.F.R. § 2008 Supreme Court 323 U.S. 134 419 U.S. 65, 74 437 U.S. 443, 450 464 U.S. 16, 23 467 U.S. 837 482 U.S. 64, 69 485 U.S. 386 511 U.S. 164, 187 529 U.S. 420, 431 532 U.S. 275, 292 Circuit Courts 510 F.2d 1387, 1391-1392 740 F.2d 1569, 1572 781 F.2d 1421, 1426 849 F.2d 1422, 1425 932 F.2d 920, 927-931 966 F.2d 660, 665 979 F.2d 1524, 1527 6 F.3d 1511, 1522 38 F.3d 551 80 F.3d 1543, 1549-1550 87 F.3d 471, 475 110 F.3d 1562, 1564 157 F.3d 879, 882 161 F.3d 1347, 1355 173 F.3d 1176, 1184 202 F.3d 1360, 1363 334 F.3d 1314, 1333-1334 346 F.3d 1082, 1084 366 F.3d 1325, 1333 375 F.3d 1113, 1115 418 F.3d 1282, 1314-1315 429 F.3d 1052, 1057 436 F.3d 1341, 1354 441 F.3d 1380, 1383 467 F.3d 391, 399 469 F.3d 993, 1000 480 F.3d 1348, 1355 490 F.3d 1361, 1368 495 F.3d 1355, 1359-1360 500 F.3d 895, 903-904 525 F.3d 1334, 1341