When Okamoto starts its process for the US application, in real time, they are starting May 3, 2005....which is 17 months beyond the 9-4-2004 filing of e.Digital....for this, IMO, they new of e.Digitals process in establishing theirs. They, however, use the filing date of their PCT 1-30-2004.

rephrase...

When Okamoto starts its process for the US application, in real time, they are starting May 3, 2005....which is 8 months beyond the 9-4-2004 filing of e.Digital....for this, IMO, they knew of e.Digitals process in establishing theirs. They, however, use the filing date of their PCT 1-30-2004.

They use the filing date of their PCT 1-30-2004....because they know their published date of this PCT 11-25-2004 into its formal WO patent can't beat e.Digitals 9-4-2004 date. Where if it did beat e.Digital...it was published in Japneese which would not allow it to be used as prior art. I wonder if the examiner is utilizing this prior art for any other issues other than e.Digital?

Any way, I had to correct the month spread I initially indicated.....it's only an 8 month spread between the real time considerations.

doni