Duty to Disclose:

All the information material to the patentability of the invention must be disclosed to the Office with candor and good faith.

Rules governing the duty to disclose:

• The information includes more than just patents and printed publications.
  • It includes all presently known information.
• The duty exists until the application becomes abandoned.
  • It exists even after the patent is issued.

Who has a duty to disclose?

• Each inventor, each registered practitioner, each assignee, every other person involved substantially in preparation or prosecution of application.
• It does not extend to typists, clerks or corporations.