亞律國際專利商標聯合事務所

延續案的種類：CA、CIP、DA

連續申請案（Continuation Application, CA）
主要規範於美國專利法第120條 
35 U.S.C. 120  Benefit of earlier filing date in the United States.
An application for patent for an invention disclosed in the manner provided by section 112(a) (other than the requirement to disclose the best mode) in an application previously filed in the United States, or as provided by section 363 or 385 which names an inventor or joint inventor in the previously filed application shall have the same effect, as to such invention, as though filed on the date of the prior application, if filed before the patenting or abandonment of or termination of proceedings on the first application or on an application similarly entitled to the benefit of the filing date of the first application and if it contains or is amended to contain a specific reference to the earlier filed application. No application shall be entitled to the benefit of an earlier filed application under this section unless an amendment containing the specific reference to the earlier filed application is submitted at such time during the pendency of the application as required by the Director. The Director may consider the failure to submit such an amendment within that time period as a waiver of any benefit under this section. The Director may establish procedures, including the requirement for payment of the fee specified in section 41(a)(7), to accept an unintentionally delayed submission of an amendment under this section.

法條重點如下所述：

1. 於美國申請的母案符合section 112(a)¹規定揭露之發明，且具有與母案至少一位相同發明人，則其專利的申請日應追溯至母案的申請日。
2. 請必須需在母案獲准、放棄或審理程序終止之前，提交後續申請案，方可獲得與母案相同申請日的權利。
3. 後續申請案必須具體引用母案內容，才能享有與母案相同申請日的權利。

連續申請案係指專利權人於母案放棄或獲准專利權前提出的另一件專利申請案，連續申請案與母案所揭示的實質內容完全相同，只有請求項的技術內容進行部分修正，修正內容未引進新的發明技術，因此連續申請案沒有變更母案實質內容的問題。連續申請案的「有效申請日」指國內先申請優先權基礎案的申請日，該有效申請日為專利審查要件（例如新穎性與非顯而易知性）之判斷基準日。

部分連續申請案(Continuation-In-Part Application, CIP)
主要規範於美國專利法第120條，同上述連續申請案(Continuation Application, CA)。

專利申請案進入審查階段後，原則上申請人便無法增加說明書所述之內容，因此發明於嗣後若又產生新的進展，而想要將小部分新發明加入母案時，美國專利法允許專利人提出部分連續申請案，以新增母案所沒有的事項。換言之，發明人可利用部分連續申請案增加發明新進展的部分，因此在部分連續申請案中，部分說明書內容與母案相同，部分則為母案原本所無的新事項。
在部分連續申請案僅有與母案相同的部分可主張母案申請日為其有效申請日，額外增加的新發明僅得以部分連續申請案本身之申請日為其有效申請日。部分連續申請案於申請標的中增加新發明，因此發明人欄上可以一併增列新發明人。

分割案(Divisional Application, DA)
主要規範於美國專利法第121條
35 U.S.C. 121   Divisional applications.
If two or more independent and distinct inventions are claimed in one application, the Director may require the application to be restricted to one of the inventions. If the other invention is made the subject of a divisional application which complies with the requirements of section 120 it shall be entitled to the benefit of the filing date of the original application. A patent issuing on an application with respect to which a requirement for restriction under this section has been made, or on an application filed as a result of such a requirement, shall not be used as a reference either in the Patent and Trademark Office or in the courts against a divisional application or against the original application or any patent issued on either of them, if the divisional application is filed before the issuance of the patent on the other application. The validity of a patent shall not be questioned for failure of the Director to require the application to be restricted to one invention.

法條重點如下所述：

1. 如果一個專利申請案中包含兩個或多個獨立且不同的發明，美國專利商標局可以要求將申請限制為其中一個發明。
2. 如果另一個發明成為符合第120條要求分割申請的主題，則該分割申請案應享有母案的申請日。

分割案是以母案爲基礎，並自審查中母案分離出來的一種繼續申請案，當審查委員認定母案包含兩個(含)以上的發明，且是不同且相互獨立的技術，審查員將會發出「限制性請求」（Requirement for Restriction），要求專利申請人限制或選擇其中一個發明進行審查。根據美國專利法第121條規定，申請人可以就未選擇部分申請分割案。

另外就母案說明書中已揭露之實施例，但卻未被母案請求項所包含者，申請人可自動申請分割，分割案不可以導入實質變更於說明書或是請求項、圖式的內容。應注意的是，母案申請種類為發明專利時，其分割申請案可以為發明專利，也可以是設計專利，只要發明專利申請案的附圖與分割案申請標的同一即可。

延續案的目的？

延續案最主要的目的，就是向美國專利局繼續爭取獲取專利權。

CA：通常在收到最終核駁時，申請人可以透過提出CA以進行請求項的改寫；或者當申請人需要較法定期間長的時間搜集證據或實驗數據，以撰寫有效的答辯意見時，也適合提出CA。另外，CA有機會指派不同的審委進行審理，申請人可以透過新的觀點說服審查委員而准予專利。

CIP：當審查委員檢索出引證內容(一個或多個)與專利申請案近似時，申請人的較難透過原說明書的內容進行答辯，因此申請人可以透過申請CIP在原說明書中增加與母案不同的實施例、實驗數據等作為克服引證的基礎，並據此新增請求項。CIP與CA相同，CIP也有機會指派到不同的審查委員進行審理。

DA：若審查委員發出「限制性要求」(Requirement for Restriction)，則可對於未選擇的發明提出DA，以確保原專利的發明均能受到專利保護。

延續案CA、CIP、DA的表格整理

1. section 112(a) : The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.