What is the “special technical feature” in unity of invention?
What is the “special technical feature” in unity of invention?
The “special technical feature” is a key concept in assessing unity of invention. According to the MPEP 1893.03(d):
“The expression ‘special technical features’ means those technical features that define a contribution which each of the claimed inventions, considered as a whole, makes over the prior art.”
This means that the special technical feature is the element or aspect of an invention that distinguishes it from known prior art and connects multiple inventions in a way that demonstrates their unity. If multiple inventions share this special technical feature, they are considered to have unity of invention.
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