For questions relating to the USPTO rules related to prior art or what constitute prior art. For REQUESTS FOR PRIOR ART please use the [prior-art-request] tag.

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What would be considered infringement on patent US 8327659 B2

A patent on a "cooler" is covering a wider spectrum of products. There are numerous cooler companies. Would they be committing infringement on this patent just by making a cooler? Or perhaps the ...
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how does this paper published in April 2008 3 months before the filing date affect the claim?

I found this patent http://www.google.com/patents/EP2155766A1?cl=en while looking at Ru mediators. I also found the paper below; http://lbms03.cityu.edu.hk/theses/abt/mphil-bch-b22687452a.pdf The ...
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Can 3-D Printing Materials be Patented After an Algorithm for Making Them is Published?

There is a growing concern in the open-source 3-D printing community that broad patent claims on materials for 3-D printing may hamper the open-source 3-D printing community's ability to innovate. ...
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CALL FOR PRIOR ART:polar coordinates 3d printer

William Steele made a patent application for some sort of polar coordinates 3d printer: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wjsteele/ultra-bot-3d-printer/posts/362886 How could I find this patent ...
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How do I report a application that is not novel?

How do I alert the Patent Office that the application describes a device that was published over 20 years ago and was on the market up until 1994? In-other-words, it is not novel!
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Has application been developed

I had this idea and was almost ready to develop the application when i found this patent, US 20080140650, which covers most of things I have thought of. Has this idea been implemented or is it just ...
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How Can an Inventor Create Good Strong Prior Art For the Future Without Filing Patent Applications? [duplicate]

A company has patentable inventions it is concerned about getting locked out of. They don’t want to file patents, necessarily, but they do want to create some good strong prior art that a) they can ...
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Rule 131 Antedating for a National Stage application

For the given circumstances: Reference filed on Jan. 1, 2010. PCT Application filed on Feb. 1, 2010. US National Stage claiming priority to the PCT Application filed on Mar. 1, 2010. Reference was ...
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I have prior art for a pending patent. What should I do?

I invented something a couple of years ago, and made a working prototype and posted it on my blog. I also spoke about it publicly and brought it to an exposition. Lately, I've been thinking of selling ...
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Can one file a patent application amicus brief to protest granting of the patent?

If one were to have information concerning a patent application that would refute the claim of no prior art (goes to originality), is there a process and/or obligation to submit this information to ...
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Inequitable Conduct? Theranos U.S. Patent No. 8,283,155 (Elizabeth Holmes)

I would ask for prior art, but I'm more curious how close you think this and what the consensus on inequitable conduct is? U.S. Patent No. 8,282,155 filed in 2009 and claiming priority to 2006. ...
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Can web pages found with the Wayback Machine qualify as prior art?

I'm trying to claim prior art on the "Twitter" patent. But if that prior art only ever existed as a web page, and only now exists as a Wayback Machine snapshot, does it qualify as legitimate prior ...
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US patent 6153034

I am the inventor of a unique method for rapid prototyping I got an US Patent in 2000 number 6153034 Scott Crump from Stratasys examined it in Chicago at Rosemont CC back in 1999. Terry Wohlers ...
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CALL FOR PRIOR ART: 3D Printing application “Ribbon Filament and Assembly for Use in Extrusion-based Digital Manufacturing Systems” (13/530191)

This call for prior art is part of the EFF's effort to keep 3D printing open. Read about the initiative here, and check out Google Patents or the USPTO for full details about this particular ...
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CALL FOR PRIOR ART: 3D Printing application “Process for Producing Three-dimensionally Shaped Object and Device for Producing Same” (13/503217)

This call for prior art is part of the EFF's effort to keep 3D printing open. Read about the initiative here, and check out Google Patents or the USPTO for full details about this particular ...
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1answer
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Prior art and infringement: patents filed but not issued

I am wondering about whether or not my idea has already been patented. In particular, I have combed over the patents that have been issued, but it remains a possibility that a patent, which ...
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there's lots of prior art for personal genetic data

I think there's prior art for this... in a business plan that was submitted as supporting documentation for US 7089498. The business plan describes a wide range of direct to consumer products and ...
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Searching for prior art: what cites this?

I have found a patent on Google Patents which, while not infringing on what I want to patent, could form prior art to something that does infringe on what I want to patent. I am finding it hard to ...
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How is US5693489 patent different from US4952496?

From what I can tell, the language in these patents are exactly same with the exception of the degree of detail outlined in the claims. Claim 1, 1a, and 1b of US5693489 appear to re-phrasing claims ...
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How is us20120249774 different from structured light?

How us20120249774 is patentable? It just looks like structured light + 6DoF pose estimation. Besides being obvious, this video uploaded on Mar 31, 2011 pre-dates the application. ...
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I want to challenge the validity of Patent number: EP1646287B1, do I need to officially hire a lawyer and present it to the tribunal?

The validity of Patent number: EP1646287B1 has been questioned in various research reports. How does one go about challenging the validity of the patent?
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Is this patent valid us20120228385?

It seems to me that services like this http://www.greengym.ca/QRCODES.html invalidate this patent. Also, how is this an "invention". Seems to be it shouldn't be a patentable item. link to patent ...
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Patent Troll: Search Results with Image

There is a patent troll trying to get a number of websites to pay a license for a search that results in an image with text describing that image. The main claim might be roughly paraphrased as: A ...
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1answer
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How is p16 for cervical neoplasias patentable in 2003 (US7306926) when the application has been published as far back as 1995?

Below are examples of prior art to the 2003 p16 patent from MTM Labs...how does that patent get granted? http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7591209 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9166931
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What are the major take-aways on the first-(inventor)-to-file rules that go into effect March 16, 2013?

The last and possibly most significant change to the U.S. patent system from the AIA goes into effect in less than a month. What will it mean for inventors and for prior art submitters?
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Does the actual inventor of this item have any means of gaining financial compensation for his stolen design?

Assume an inventor A has no patent, just published proof that he created the Invention. Assume a second individual B copies the Invention and files for a US patent on the Invention. Does A have any ...
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The techniques here are obvious

The problems of recognizing blobs (the result of connected component analysis), classifying them as representing potential collections of interest such as text strings, and applying techniques such as ...
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separate coating of amino acid and vitamin in food suppliment

Searching for prior art of US8361511 .. can any one suggest any document discussing separate coating of amino acid and vitamin followed by another coating used in the food industry?
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92 views

Would this, given the global usage of diaries on both big and small websites, still be a valid patent?

This patent is about the use of diaries with remote content (see quote), but given the current use of blogs (via sites as Blogspot, Wordpress etc) I would consider this to be a bit out-of-date. A ...
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2answers
263 views

How is the patent 7,844,363 B1 not violating EP 2174251 B1

I saw this patent for Medbox and I was wondering how it doesn't violate EP 2174251 B1 which is for a medicine dispensing machine called Pyxis Medstation. They are similar machines however one ...
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Is this prior art to Power-over-Ethernet based LED lighting or illumination?

UK based Convertertechnology have dated their Power-Over-Ethernet based LED lightning reference system in 29th December, 2006. Here is the link to the document: ...
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Prior Art for Method And System For Improved Network Maintence Scheduling

Application # 20120173688 Primary Filing Category-Telecommunications-455 The system is designed to coordinate planned maintenance on a network in order to prevent collisions and duplicated work ...
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Adding of new matter in Patent 8,088,480

Patent US8088480 - Spend 10 years in the patent office and the file wrapper is really long. It looks like they have started infringement cases with 2 other companies. I am looking for a little help ...
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A entire procedure of a larger method is already patented, it was found during prior-art search

It was found that the method developed by "A" (newer designers) versus "B" (the original designers and holders of a patent) was more complex. I think it falls into the improvement patents category, in ...
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any negative aspects about using the same terms as in prior art patents to refer to things?

When drafting a patent, are there any negative aspects about using the same terms as prior art patents to refer to things? What about diagrams? computer system related patents often add a system ...
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Where can I find best practices or guides for patent/SOTA research?

I work as an engineer (not software) and occasionally I have ideas that might make sense to follow through and maybe arive at some sort of invention. The first step would be, of course, to look up if ...
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How does the applicant of a patent cite prior art?

How does the applicant of a patent cite prior art? Is it necessary to cite prior art that I'm aware of in a first filing (provisional)?
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patent specification level of detail

I'm drafting the specification of a patent for my invention. The invention is in the field of computer vision and augmented reality. I'm quite sure that the main subject mater is novel enough and ...
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Turbo System and Method of Installing

I am the owner of SOHO Motorsports and we are in the process of designing a turbo system for a vehicle that is in our shop and I wanted to ask an important question before we begin building this turbo ...
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Prior art shared with the USPTO

The USPTO started allowing the public to submit prior art just last year. How will the public know if prior art that is submitted through the third party submission system was used to reject a patent ...
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How could a patent have been issued for a composite knife blade?

Turns out there's a US 2008/0250656 A1 patent for a composite knife blade - a knife blade made of two pieces - one containing the area near cutting edge and the other containing the rest of the blade ...
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1answer
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Is this check-splitting patent valid?

Application US20120036028 So basically this is check splitting... We have been working on a system for the last year and a half that has the same "feature". By advice from our legal counsel, there ...
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How rigorous are examiners

A business competitor is claiming "patent pending" on a product I know they did not originally create. The product is manufactured by us, the competitor in question, as well as at least 15 other ...
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What is differences between us8216392 and us7445677? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: is there an infringement between this patent and lufthansa us8216392 patent? us8216392 patent produced "cyclean" you can google for images and us7445677 drawings are ...
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402 views

is there an infringement between this patent and lufthansa us8216392 patent?

lufthansa us8216392 and Gas T. E. us7445677 is very close to eachother and I assume there is an infringment. If you search lufthansa cyclean pictures and patent drawing of us7445677 you will see ...
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Idea that is similar but not identical to an existing patent: how do I evaluate the novelty?

I came up with an idea similar to this one (us20070091093) around the same time and I've read this patent pretty thoroughly. They cover a large part of what my idea is, but I have differences in ...
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What is the difference between US7938262 and antique string holders?

I am wondering what is novel in US Patent 7938262 for a potpourri holder: I offer a variety of early American string holders, used in stores to hold a ball of twine or string for ease of packaging. ...
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How is US6292685 different from Exergen's previously filed patent?

Exergen has recently and successfully won legal battles with two other companies marketing products using a similar technology, American Diagnostic Corp. & SDI Diagnostic Corp.. Firstly, it seems ...
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Any idea why US Patent 6,839,541 is heavily cited by MISONIMO CHI ACQUISITIONS L.L.C.?

Was looking at the subject US patent 6,839,541 and see that a company called MISONIMO CHI ACQUISITIONS L.L.C. heavily cites this patent, but I cannot find out what this citing company MISONIMO CHI ...
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What is the USPTO attitude toward mouth rinse patents, particularly given many seem to overlap?

I have an idea for a mouth rinse I would like to patent. When performing a quick Google search, I found several patents that seem to have overlapping claims with each other. My patent would likely ...

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