prior art

In patent law, ‘prior art’ encompasses any public information relevant to a patent’s originality claims, including existing patents, published applications, academic research, product descriptions, and public demonstrations. This concept is pivotal in assessing an invention’s novelty and non-obviousness, criteria essential for patentability. Patent examiners scrutinize prior art to ensure inventions are truly innovative, with those lacking novelty or deemed obvious potentially being denied patent protection.