What is required for a Continuation-In-Part (CIP) application?

A Continuation-in-Part (CIP) application is designed to allow an applicant to add new material to an existing application while retaining the benefit of the filing date of the original application for the common subject matter. This is critical because it means that the CIP can introduce new content that could not have been included in the original application while still relying on the earlier filing date for what is shared.

Therefore, the requirement that it must share substantial portions with a prior application is essential. This characteristic distinguishes CIP applications from other types of applications, like new applications, which can explore entirely different subject matter or inventions. In a CIP, only the material that is common to both the CIP and the prior application can utilize the earlier filing date, thus providing a strategic advantage in terms of patent protection.

The other options do not align with the defining requirements of a CIP application. For example, while a CIP can introduce new inventions, it is not a requirement that the application must consist entirely of new inventions. Additionally, a CIP application indeed must be filed after a complete application but the necessity of a complete application is not a defining characteristic of a CIP. Lastly, a new oath from the inventor is not inherently required in a CIP, although there may be circumstances when this is