Continuation-in-part application

U.S. patent law

A continuation-in-part (CIP) application "discloses a substantial portion of the subject matter disclosed in an earlier-filed parent application, and claims the benefit of the earlier filing date for that subject matter, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §120. In addition, a CIP application includes and may claim subject matter not disclosed in the parent application. The added subject matter receives the benefit of the later filing date of the CIP application."