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Simple English definitions for legal terms
restriction application
Read a random definition: Code of Military Justice
A quick definition of restriction application:
A restriction application is a type of patent application where an inventor asks for a patent but only for one of their inventions, even if they have more than one. If the patent office agrees, the inventor can file a separate application for their other invention. This is called a divisional application. It's like asking for one cookie now and saving the other cookie for later.A more thorough explanation:
A restriction application is a type of patent application that is filed when an examiner finds that a disclosure reveals two or more distinct inventions, and the applicant must restrict the original application to claiming one of the inventions. A divisional application can then be filed on any nonelected invention, and it will keep the same filing date as the parent application.
For example, if an inventor files a patent application for a new type of car engine, but the examiner finds that the application also discloses a new type of transmission, the inventor may be required to file a restriction application to claim only the engine invention. The inventor can then file a divisional application to claim the transmission invention.
Overall, a restriction application is a way for an inventor to pursue multiple inventions disclosed in a single patent application without losing the original filing date.