{"id":10639,"date":"2022-02-25T07:30:51","date_gmt":"2022-02-25T07:30:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/?p=10639"},"modified":"2022-02-25T08:25:42","modified_gmt":"2022-02-25T08:25:42","slug":"patent-obviousness-and-overcoming-associated-rejections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/patent-obviousness-and-overcoming-associated-rejections\/","title":{"rendered":"Patent Obviousness and Overcoming Associated Rejections &#8211; An Overview"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">Patent\nObviousness is the most challenging problem to overcome while substantiating\nthe patentability of an invention. This is due to its subjective &amp; unclear\nnature. Rejection of a Patent application due to Obviousness could be a grave\ndissatisfaction for an inventor, whose excellent ideas are based on prior art\nreferences and the interpretations derived from them. That&#8217;s why it becomes\nimperative to recognise the concept of Patent Obviousness and identify ways to\novercome it. Scroll down to know more about patent Obviousness and overcoming\nrejections associated with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_65 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2aa95e8e20b\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2aa95e8e20b\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/patent-obviousness-and-overcoming-associated-rejections\/#What_is_Patent_Obviousness\" title=\"What is Patent\nObviousness?\">What is Patent\nObviousness?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/patent-obviousness-and-overcoming-associated-rejections\/#Why_is_Patent_Obviousness_Vital\" title=\"Why is Patent\nObviousness Vital?\">Why is Patent\nObviousness Vital?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/patent-obviousness-and-overcoming-associated-rejections\/#What_Makes_an_Invention_Obvious_or_Evident\" title=\"What Makes an\nInvention Obvious or Evident?\">What Makes an\nInvention Obvious or Evident?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/patent-obviousness-and-overcoming-associated-rejections\/#Different_ways_to_Overcome_the_Patent_Rejection_from_Obviousness\" title=\"Different ways\nto Overcome the Patent Rejection from Obviousness\">Different ways\nto Overcome the Patent Rejection from Obviousness<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/patent-obviousness-and-overcoming-associated-rejections\/#Conclusion\" title=\"Conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_Patent_Obviousness\"><\/span>What is Patent\nObviousness?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Patent\nObviousness is the idea or concept that if an invention is obvious or evident\nto either experts or the ordinary public, it cannot be patented. Obviousness is\none of the determining factors on how to Patent an idea and whether or not an\ninvention\/idea is patentable. It\u2019s one of the hardest concepts to know since\nit\u2019s often particular and even arbitrary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One\nof the best examples to understand the meaning of Obviousness is the case of <strong><em>John\nDeere vs Graham; <\/em><\/strong>using this case, the Supreme Court came up with the\nGraham test for Obviousness which helps in determining Obviousness as a question\nof law vi factual inquiries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To know the scope &amp; content of prior art, the inquiry considers identical patented <strong>inventions<\/strong><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Invention\" class=\"text-primary\"><strong>[1]<\/strong><\/a><\/sup>. Each is defined in the widest reasonable terms that are steady with the Patent claims. Then the invention at hand is compared with these other inventions looking for the difference. The needs a detailed investigation into the wording of claims and a look at both the invention &amp; prior art at hand as an entire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_is_Patent_Obviousness_Vital\"><\/span>Why is Patent\nObviousness Vital?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In most cases, Patent Obviousness is the biggest obstacle in obtaining a <a href=\"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/patent-registration\" class=\"text-primary\"><strong>Patent Registration<\/strong><\/a>. Attorneys &amp; judges have different views, so rulings are hard to forecast. Usually, a test for Patent Obviousness considers all prior art, comprising printed media and Patents, and tries to know whether the combination of such ideas into a new invention is obvious to an ordinary, skilled person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The\nmeaning of Obviousness has amended over time. 30 years ago, the Federal Circuit\nCourt applied the teaching, motivation, and suggestion test to know Obviousness\nin Patent ideas. This was later abandoned in favour of 6 different criteria\nthat define Obviousness: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Expected outcomes;<\/li><li>Applying a recognised technique\nto improve a device or machine;<\/li><li>Designs that are obvious or\nclear to an individual of skill;<\/li><li>The invention is created from\nprior art using only an additional element;<\/li><li>The invention attains success\nfrom a number of finite, known solutions;<\/li><li>Using a recognised technique to\nimprove a device or machine.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Makes_an_Invention_Obvious_or_Evident\"><\/span>What Makes an\nInvention Obvious or Evident?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>An\ninvention is declared or announced as obvious if the difference between the\nclaims and the prior arts is obvious to an individual with standard skill when\nfiling an application for Patent Registration. In short, if an invention is\nobvious or evident to an average person, it cannot be patented. Hence, as the\nidea is completely subjective, a vital part of the Patent prosecution process\nconcerning arguing with the examiner for the invention is not apparent, and\nit&#8217;s not based on the prior arts mentioned by the examiner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In\nmany instances, it has been seen that the examiner has used a combination of\nprior arts to discard a claim (one or more prior art references to interpret).\nFurthermore, when we compare the idea of novelty with the idea of Obviousness,\nthe subjectivity of the latter becomes even more evident or obvious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Different_ways_to_Overcome_the_Patent_Rejection_from_Obviousness\"><\/span>Different ways\nto Overcome the Patent Rejection from Obviousness<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While\nsafeguarding the Patent application from being declined on arbitrary and\nunrelated bases, it\u2019s vital to know how to tackle when such conditions arrive.\nThe following points will aid in avoiding the obviousness rejections:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Any unsupported belief or\nconclusion on only common sense by the examiner must always be challenged by\narguing or disputing that the rejection is conclusory &amp; unsupported.<\/li><li>One must challenge the\nconclusion or ending of Obviousness by elucidating how the problem or issue was\nnot known in the prior art\/other pieces of evidence concerning the solution. <\/li><li>If an examiner or scrutineer\nrejects the claim based on Patents or published applications, it is suggested\nor recommended to have a closer look at the Patent&#8217;s prosecution history. The\ntakeaways or results from it may be used to dispute any assertion made by\ncombining different references. <\/li><li>The analysis of the examiner\ncan also be challenged on the grounds that the prior art failed to advise any\nsolution to the problem solved by the invention.<\/li><li>Assumptions by the examiner\nregarding the finite number of solutions with expected success can be targeted\nby showing or displaying the examiner the number of choices and how uncertain\nthe outcomes of each alternative could be.<\/li><li>The randomness and variables of\nthe Obviousness suggested by the examiner must be explained, and if possible,\nthe unexpected outcomes can be demonstrated.<\/li><li>Lastly, if the examiner still\nis not satisfied, amendments to the claims can be made, and precise elements\nthat were not shared in the prior art references can be added.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Moreover,\nwhile responding to the obvious rejection, the applicant must use the\narguments. Even in case, the examiner is not persuaded, the statements may be\nconvincing on an appeal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Understanding the concept of Patent Obviousness and knowing different ways to safeguard against its rejected rejections to help you protect your valuable invention from being denied unjustifiably. Further, a well-drafted application of a Patent can even lessen the occurrence of obviousness rejection in the first place itself. It aids in saving resources and getting the intended outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"text-left\"><b>Read our Article<\/b>:<mark style=\"background: #fffd03 !important;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/employer-employee-patent-ownership-in-india\/\">Employer \u2013 Employee Patent Ownership in India \u2013 An Overview<\/a><\/mark><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Patent Obviousness is the most challenging problem to overcome while substantiating the patentability of an invention. This is due to its subjective &amp; unclear nature. Rejection of a Patent application due to Obviousness could be a grave dissatisfaction for an inventor, whose excellent ideas are based on prior art references and the interpretations derived from [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":10642,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[55],"tags":[991],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10639"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10639"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10639\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10653,"href":"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10639\/revisions\/10653"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10642"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}