Do assignments for a parent or provisional application carry over to continuations?

When considering whether assignments for a parent or provisional application carry over to continuation applications, it is essential to understand the nuances of patent law regarding these types of applications.

Continuations and continuations-in-part (CIPs) derive from a parent application, and the assignments made for the parent generally apply to these child applications. However, there's a critical distinction when it comes to continuations-in-part. A continuation-in-part can introduce new matter that was not disclosed in the parent application. Because this new matter isn't part of the original disclosure, an assignment specific to that new matter may not automatically carry over from the parent application to the CIP.

In the context of this question, saying that assignments do carry over to continuations but not to continuations-in-part accurately reflects this legal distinction. This means that any rights related specifically to the new additions in a CIP would require a separate assignment if those rights need to be explicitly conveyed.

This clarification is vital for understanding ownership rights in the context of these applications and how assignments interact with different types of filings in patent law.