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PATENT-FUNDAMENTALS5 MIN READ

Run the five gates before you file

Screen an invention idea against eligibility, novelty, non-obviousness, utility, and disclosure readiness.

The move: diagnose the gate, not the vibe. The five-gate screen keeps early patent conversations concrete. Eligibility asks whether the claimed invention fits patentable subject matter. Novelty asks whether every element is already in one public reference or event. Non-obviousness asks whether the difference is more than routine combination or substitution. Utility asks whether the invention has a specific practical use. Disclosure readiness asks whether the team can teach the invention enough to support the claims. The gates work because they separate legal standards from product enthusiasm. A feature can be valuable and still obvious. A technical improvement can be…

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