In the case of a final rejection of claims, when should questions of prematureness be raised?

When a final rejection of claims occurs, the appropriate time to raise questions of prematureness is through a petition under 37 CFR 1.181 while the application is still pending before the examiner. This procedure allows the applicant to directly address issues related to the timeliness of the final rejection before the examination process concludes.

Prematureness refers to a situation where an action or rejection occurs in an inappropriate or untimely manner, and addressing such concerns early in the examination process can prevent unnecessary delays or complications during subsequent appeal stages. By utilizing the petition process under the specified regulation, the applicant can seek a resolution from the examiner before moving further up the chain to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board or other appeals.

Timing is crucial in patent prosecution, and addressing issues while the application is still pending maximizes the potential for resolution without escalating to more formal procedures that may be required later in the process.