Patents 102(a) Novelty A person shall be entitled to a patent - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Patents – § 102(a) – Novelty

• “A person shall be entitled to a patent unless -

(a) the invention was known or used by others in this country, or patented or described in a printed publication in this or a foreign country, before the invention thereof by the applicant for patent, or”

Filing Date & Presumed Invention Date Invention Date

Patents – § 102(a) – Novelty

“by others” “before the invention”

Patents – § 102(a) – Novelty

• “known or used . . . in this country” – Rosaire
• ‘525 Patent and ‘085 Patent
• filing date
• Sept. 26, 1939
• say invent in 1936
• Teplitz, in 1935-36,

performed invention in Palestine, TX

• Does this mean “known or used”?
• Must have all elements of the invention
• As long as “not secret”

Patents – § 102(a) – Novelty

• “patented . . . or described in a printed

publication” – In re Hall

• Application filed on Feb. 27, 1979
• German dissertation allegedly anticipates
• submitted to dep’t in Sept. 1977
• get Ph.D on Nov. 2, 1977
• sent to library on Nov. 4, 1977
• When is it a “publication”?
• “public accessibility”
• “at least to the public interested in the

art”

Patents – § 102(b) – Statutory Bar

• A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –

(b) the invention was patented or described in a printed publication in this or a foreign country or in public use or on sale in this country, more than one year prior to the date of the application for patent in the United States, or

• similar two categories as § 102(a)
• “in this country” focus on use or sale, not

known

Filing Date Filing Date – 1 Year 1 year grace period

Patents – § 102(b) – Statutory Bar

Anyone!

Patents – § 102(b) – Statutory Bar

• “public use or on sale” – Egbert
• RE5216 filed Mar. 1866
• Made/tested it Jan-May 1855
• “intimate friend” uses, wears

in public, shows to Mr. Sturgis

• is this a “public use”?
• fact not visible irrelevant
• looking for restrictions/secrecy
• What about § 102(a)?

Patents – § 102(a) – Novelty

• “A person shall be entitled to a patent unless -

(a) the invention was known or used by others in this country, or patented or described in a printed publication in this or a foreign country, before the invention thereof by the applicant for patent, or”

Patents – § 102(b) – Statutory Bar

• A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –

(b) the invention was patented or described in a printed publication in this or a foreign country or in public use or on sale in this country, more than one year prior to the date of the application for patent in the United States, or

Patents – § 102(b) – Statutory Bar

• Experimental Use Exception – City of

Elizabeth

• used on stretch of toll road 6 years before

filing patent

• Meet the 102(b) requirements?
• Was it experimental use?
• exercise control?
• need for use?
• Impact on invention date

Patents – § 102(a),(b)

“in ¡this ¡ country” ¡ “in ¡this ¡or ¡a ¡foreign ¡ country” ¡

102(a) ¡“before ¡ the ¡inven9on” ¡ ¡

“known ¡or ¡ used” ¡[must ¡be ¡ public] ¡ “patented ¡or ¡described ¡ in ¡printed ¡publica9on” ¡

102(b) ¡“more ¡ than ¡one ¡year ¡ prior ¡to ¡the ¡date ¡

• f ¡applica9on” ¡

“public ¡use ¡or ¡

• n ¡sale” ¡

¡

“patented ¡or ¡described ¡ in ¡a ¡printed ¡ publica9on” ¡