What is the importance of STIC resources in determining patentability?
STIC resources play a crucial role in determining patentability by providing examiners with comprehensive access to prior art and technical information. The importance of these resources is highlighted in MPEP 901.06(a):
“These resources provide material which must be known or searched to determine whether claims of applications are directly anticipated and, therefore, unpatentable under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 102. STIC handbooks, textbooks, periodicals, reports, and other materials assist examiners in deciding the question of patentable invention in cases in which the primary search indicates that there is some novelty as compared to any single reference in the art (35 U.S.C. 103).“
STIC resources enable examiners to:
- Identify relevant prior art for novelty and obviousness determinations
- Access the latest technical information in various fields
- Evaluate the state of the art at the time of invention
- Make informed decisions on patentability based on comprehensive searches
By providing access to a wide range of technical literature and patent documents, STIC resources ensure that patent examinations are thorough and well-informed.
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