Nonobviousness is a U.S. legal term used to describe inventions which are new, useful and are not obvious to a person who is an expert in the field. Nonobviousness is a requirement for a product to be eligible for a patent in the United States. A patent is a federal grant which forbids the making of the invention without the permission of its inventor.
Examples of Nonobviousness
An example of an invention that is nonobvious is the Apple iPhone, which was developed in 2007. While at first glance, it may not have appeared to be groundbreaking, it was the revolutionary combination of features that made the invention unique and thus eligible for a patent. Had one of the features been independently invented, it would not have been eligible for a patent because it would have been considered to be “obvious.”
Nonobviousness in Business
Patents are a valuable commodity to businesses, which is why it is important to understand when an invention is eligible for it. Companies often spend large amounts of money researching the market to make sure their product is not infringing on any pre-existing patents. Additionally, in order to protect their own creations, they often seek patents on nonobvious inventions and innovations.
Nonobviousness is an important legal concept to understand when applying for or protecting a patent. It is important to remember that a product must meet the criteria of being new, useful and nonobvious in order to be eligible for a patent.