At any time during a patent’s enforceability term, any person may file with the USPTO a request to conduct a second patent examination on the basis of prior art patents or printed publications which bear upon patentability. If a third party (not the patent owner) files an ex parte reexamination request, the third party may not participate in the ex parte proceedings beyond the filing of a reply to the patent owner’s statement (CFR§1.530), if one is filed. No other reply or submission from the third party will be considered.
