Precedent for ex parte patent prosecution.

Determining whether the decisions of a given federal court regarding ex parte patent prosecutions are binding on the US Patent and Trademark Office requires determining whether the court's jurisdiction includes appeals of patent matters. Decisions of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the Court of Claims are all binding precedent under stare decisis. Decisions from the Court of Customs and Patent Appeals, other Courts of Appeals, the District Court for the District of Columbia, and the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences may also be controlling.