What are the requirements for patentability?

In South Carolina, the requirements for patentability are set by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). These requirements are the same for all states in the United States. In order to be granted a patent, an invention must be new, useful, and non-obvious. The invention must be “new” or novel, meaning that it cannot already exist in any form in the United States or elsewhere in the world. The invention must also be “useful” meaning that it must have a beneficial purpose or application. Finally, the invention must be “non-obvious”, meaning that it must not be something that would be obvious to someone working in the same field. In addition to these requirements, the USPTO also requires that an invention be adequately described in a patent application. The application must accurately describe the invention and how it works so that a person skilled in the same area of technology can create and use it. Finally, an invention must not already be patented or published. A patent application must provide a description and claims that are supported by prior art. Prior art is any publicly available information that describes the technology or invention before it was invented. These requirements must be met in order for a patent to be granted. Meeting these requirements will allow an inventor to protect their invention from being copied or used without permission.

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What are the requirements for patentability?

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