37 CFR 42.100 : Patents, Trademarks, And Copyrights (§ 1.1 To Chapter V) — (§ 1.1 To Chapter V) — United States Patent And Trademark Office, Department Of Commerce (§ 1.1 To Parts 151-199) — General (§ 1.1 To § 90.3) — Trial Practice Before The Patent Trial And Appeal Board (§ 42.1 To § 42.412) — Inter Partes Review (§ 42.100 To § 42.123) — General (§ 42.100 To § 42.107) — Procedure; pendency

(a) An inter partes review is a trial subject to the procedures set forth in subpart A of this part.

(b) A claim in an unexpired patent shall be given its broadest reasonable construction in light of the specification of the patent in which it appears.

(c) An inter partes review proceeding shall be administered such that pendency before the Board after institution is normally no more than one year. The time can be extended by up to six months for good cause by the Chief Administrative Patent Judge, or adjusted by the Board in the case of joinder.