Editing Continuing patent application (section)

===Request for continued examination (RCE) ===
In the typical case, a patent examiner will examine patent claims and amendments in an original patent application for two rounds of "office actions" before ending examination. However, often two office actions are not enough to resolve all of the issues in the patent prosecution.

A request for continued examination (RCE) is a request by an applicant for continued prosecution after the patent office has issued a "final" rejection or after prosecution "on the merits" has been closed (for example by a Notice of Allowance or by a Final Rejection). An RCE is not considered a continuing patent application - rather, prosecution of the pending application is reopened.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uspto.gov/patents/law/aipa/rcefaq.jsp|title=Request for Continued Examination (RCE) Questions and Answers|publisher=USPTO|quote=.... to provide, at the request of the applicant, for continued examination of an application for a fee (request for continued examination or RCE practice), '''without requiring the applicant to file a continuing application''' ...|accessdate=5 February 2015}}</ref> The inventor pays an additional filing fee and continues to argue his case with the patent examiner. No RCE was allowed prior to June 8, 1995.<ref>37 CFR 1.114.</ref>

====QPIDS program====
Because of a large number of last-minute Requests for Continuing Examination (RCEs) due to new prior art being found, and the additional burden these RCEs impose on examination, the USPTO launched in May 2012 the Quick Path Information Disclosure Statement (QPIDS) Pilot Program.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.uspto.gov/patent/initiatives/quick-path-information-disclosure-statement-qpids|title = Quick Path Information Disclosure Statement}}</ref> The program can be used to submit an [[Information Disclosure Statement]] (IDS) during the time interval after payment of the issue fee but prior to patent grant. Only if the examiner feels that the references on the IDS are material, a Request for Continuous Examination is executed and examination is reopened. Prior to QPIDS program, launching a full-scale RCE was the only option to introduce new prior art during that time interval. Filing a QPIDS request requires a payment of full RCE and IDS fees, which are refunded, if no RCE is opened. However, QPIDS petition fee is not returned.<ref>[https://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/documents/qpids_faq.pdf Frequently Asked Questions. QPIDS Program] uspto.gov</ref>

Ca. 2018 the QPIDS program became permanent,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.uspto.gov/patents/initiatives/quick-path-information-disclosure-statement-qpids | title=Quick Path Information Disclosure Statement }}</ref> even though USPTO's own study in 2014 showed very low applicants' participation rate.<ref>USPTO, RAPID RISE IN THE REQUEST FOR CONTINUED EXAMINATION BACKLOG REVEALS CHALLENGES IN TIMELY ISSUANCE OF PATENTS. FINAL REPORT NO. OIG-14-024-A at 17–18 (June 30, 2014) (showing participation rate for QPIDS at 2,480 between May 2012-November 2013 and a participation rate of 16,598 for the AFCP 2.0 program between May 2013-November 2013)</ref>