Meaning & use
patentability
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountablelegal
The quality of an invention that makes it legally possible to get a patent for it.
Grammar: Uncountable; used with 'the' or without an article: 'The patentability of the drug was questioned.'
Patterns
- the patentability of something
- question/challenge patentability
- patentability criteria
The lawyer examined the patentability of the new software algorithm.
Patentability depends on whether the idea is new and not obvious.
They lost the case because the court found no patentability in the design.
Common combinations
- patentability criteria
- The patentability criteria include novelty and non-obviousness.
- patentability opinion
- We need a patentability opinion before filing the application.
- question the patentability
- The competitor may question the patentability of our invention.
- patentability search
- A patentability search can save you time and money.
Synonyms and how they differ
- patent eligibility
- A broader term about whether an invention falls into a category that can be patented, while patentability also includes specific legal tests like novelty.
Word family
Commonly confused: patentability or patency?
patentability vs patency
Patency means the state of being open or unobstructed, often used for blood vessels or passages. It is completely different from patentability, which is about legal rights for inventions.
Practice
The company's lawyers are reviewing the ______ of the new drug before they apply for a patent.
Choose one answer.
Patentability is the legal quality that makes an invention able to be patented. Patency means openness, patent is the right itself, and patenting is the process, not the quality being reviewed.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “patentability”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.