prior art

Definition of "prior art"
  1. All technology and publications that existed before an invention's creation or were publicly disclosed about the invention over a year prior to its patent application, potentially invalidating the patent if seen to incorporate all elements of the new innovation
How to use "prior art" in a sentence
  1. The inventor's patent application was rejected because the patent examiner found evidence of prior art.
  2. While examining the patent claims, the researcher found identical mechanisms in prior art.
  3. To determine the originality of the invention, the patent office conducted a thorough search of prior art.

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