International Battery Metals Ltd (IBATF)

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Non-Final Office Actions
The patent examiner assigned to a patent application examines that application to form an opinion about whether the application satisfies all of the requirements for patentability, such as novelty, nonobviousness, and utility. The examiner also forms an opinion about whether the application satisfies the formal requirements established by the Patent Office. The examiner then states his opinions and explains the reasons for them in an Office Action. The first such Office Action is referred to as a “Non-Final Office Action.” The term “Non-Final” may be confusing at first glance, but makes sense when considered in contrast to “Final Office Actions,” which are described below.
A Non-Final Office Action always contains a rejection of or objection to some part of the patent application. The vast majority of patent applications are rejected, in whole or in part, in the first Non-Final Office Action mailed by the examiner to the applicant. For better or worse, this is a normal part of the process and does not necessarily indicate that the patent application will not be granted as a patent. Often, rejections in an Office Action reflect a misunderstanding by the examiner of the invention claimed in the patent application or a misunderstanding of the relationship between the invention and the prior art.
The applicant has an opportunity to respond to a Non-Final Office Action by doing one or both of the following: (1) arguing that the examiner is incorrect; and (2) amending the claims and/or specification of the application to overcome the examiner’s rejections. The applicant may also speak with the examiner on the telephone or meet with the examiner in person in an attempt to reach an understanding and obtain allowance of the patent application.
Whether or not the applicant confers with the examiner about a Non-Final Office Action, the applicant must always submit a response to the Non-Final Office Action in writing. The examiner reviews the response and then either issues a Notice of Allowance, indicating that the examiner has found all claims in the application to be patentable, or issues a Final Office Action, in which the examiner once again rejects some or all of the claims
http://rplotkin.com/patent-office-actions/