Concepts
Ideas that run across several MPEP sections: intended use, teaching away, hindsight and official notice.
ConceptsIntended Use in the MPEPWhat the MPEP says about intended use limitations, preambles and functional language, and when they distinguish a claim from prior art.Read the entryConceptsTeaching Away in the MPEPWhat the MPEP says about teaching away: when prior art criticizes or discourages the claimed solution, and why a mere preference does not count.Read the entryConceptsImpermissible Hindsight in the MPEPWhat the MPEP says about impermissible hindsight in obviousness rejections, and how examiners and applicants address it.Read the entryConceptsOfficial Notice in the MPEPWhat the MPEP says about official notice: when an examiner may rely on well-known facts without a reference, and how to challenge it.Read the entry