U.S. Patent Prosecutor's Desk Reference assists patent prosecutors in responding to Office Actions issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) rejecting patent application claims. It provides a comprehensive and updated source of law, organized by sections corresponding to the types of rejections made by the USPTO. This 2012 Edition includes all cases from the Federal Circuit and Board of Patent Appeals through December 31, 2011, and is updated with: -Federal Circuit and Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences opinions issued in 2011 -A focus on precedential and informative opinions from the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences -A new section on rejections under 35 U.S.C. 251 based on the recapture rule