§ 124.31 Applicant response to petition.

(a) The applicant may file with APHIS a written response to the petition no later than 20 days after the applicant's receipt of a copy of the petition.

(b) The applicant's response may present additional facts and circumstances to address the assertions in the petition, but shall be limited to the issue of whether the applicant acted with due diligence during the regulatory review period. The applicant's response may include documents that were not in the original patent term extension application.

(c) If the applicant does not respond to the petition, APHIS will decide the matter on the basis of the information submitted in the patent term restoration application, the due diligence petition, and APHIS records.