Manual of Patent Examining Procedure - MPEP

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200 Types, Cross-Noting, and Status of Application

201.04 Parent Application

The term "parent" is applied to an earlier application of an inventor disclosing a given invention. Such invention may or may not be claimed in the first application. Benefit of the filing date of copending parent application may be claimed under 35 U.S.C. 120. The term parent will not be used to describe a provisional application.

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