Patent Law FAQ
This FAQ answers all your questions about patent law, patent procedure, and the patent examination process.
MPEP 2100 – Patentability (2)
In patent law, machines and manufactures are two distinct categories of statutory subject matter. The MPEP provides definitions for both:
Machine: “A machine is a ‘concrete thing, consisting of parts, or of certain devices and combination of devices.’ This category ‘includes every mechanical device or combination of mechanical powers and devices to perform some function and produce a certain effect or result.’“
Manufacture: “A manufacture is ‘a tangible article that is given a new form, quality, property, or combination through man-made or artificial means.’ … manufactures are articles that result from the process of manufacturing, i.e., they were produced ‘from raw or prepared materials by giving to these materials new forms, qualities, properties, or combinations, whether by hand-labor or by machinery.’“
The key difference is that a machine is typically a device with moving parts or circuitry that performs a function, while a manufacture is a tangible article that has been produced or modified by human intervention. Both categories require physical or tangible form.
To learn more:
What constitutes a “composition of matter” in patent law?
A “composition of matter” is one of the four categories of statutory subject matter in patent law. The MPEP 2106.03 defines it as follows:
“A composition of matter is all compositions of two or more substances and all composite articles, whether they be the results of chemical union, or of mechanical mixture, or whether they be gases, fluids, powders or solids.“
This definition is derived from the Supreme Court’s interpretation in Diamond v. Chakrabarty, 447 U.S. 303 (1980). Compositions of matter can include chemical compounds, mixtures, or other combinations of materials. This category is particularly relevant in fields such as chemistry, pharmaceuticals, and materials science.
To learn more:
MPEP 2106.03 – Eligibility Step 1: The Four Categories Of Statutory Subject Matter (2)
In patent law, machines and manufactures are two distinct categories of statutory subject matter. The MPEP provides definitions for both:
Machine: “A machine is a ‘concrete thing, consisting of parts, or of certain devices and combination of devices.’ This category ‘includes every mechanical device or combination of mechanical powers and devices to perform some function and produce a certain effect or result.’“
Manufacture: “A manufacture is ‘a tangible article that is given a new form, quality, property, or combination through man-made or artificial means.’ … manufactures are articles that result from the process of manufacturing, i.e., they were produced ‘from raw or prepared materials by giving to these materials new forms, qualities, properties, or combinations, whether by hand-labor or by machinery.’“
The key difference is that a machine is typically a device with moving parts or circuitry that performs a function, while a manufacture is a tangible article that has been produced or modified by human intervention. Both categories require physical or tangible form.
To learn more:
What constitutes a “composition of matter” in patent law?
A “composition of matter” is one of the four categories of statutory subject matter in patent law. The MPEP 2106.03 defines it as follows:
“A composition of matter is all compositions of two or more substances and all composite articles, whether they be the results of chemical union, or of mechanical mixture, or whether they be gases, fluids, powders or solids.“
This definition is derived from the Supreme Court’s interpretation in Diamond v. Chakrabarty, 447 U.S. 303 (1980). Compositions of matter can include chemical compounds, mixtures, or other combinations of materials. This category is particularly relevant in fields such as chemistry, pharmaceuticals, and materials science.
To learn more:
Patent Law (2)
In patent law, machines and manufactures are two distinct categories of statutory subject matter. The MPEP provides definitions for both:
Machine: “A machine is a ‘concrete thing, consisting of parts, or of certain devices and combination of devices.’ This category ‘includes every mechanical device or combination of mechanical powers and devices to perform some function and produce a certain effect or result.’“
Manufacture: “A manufacture is ‘a tangible article that is given a new form, quality, property, or combination through man-made or artificial means.’ … manufactures are articles that result from the process of manufacturing, i.e., they were produced ‘from raw or prepared materials by giving to these materials new forms, qualities, properties, or combinations, whether by hand-labor or by machinery.’“
The key difference is that a machine is typically a device with moving parts or circuitry that performs a function, while a manufacture is a tangible article that has been produced or modified by human intervention. Both categories require physical or tangible form.
To learn more:
What constitutes a “composition of matter” in patent law?
A “composition of matter” is one of the four categories of statutory subject matter in patent law. The MPEP 2106.03 defines it as follows:
“A composition of matter is all compositions of two or more substances and all composite articles, whether they be the results of chemical union, or of mechanical mixture, or whether they be gases, fluids, powders or solids.“
This definition is derived from the Supreme Court’s interpretation in Diamond v. Chakrabarty, 447 U.S. 303 (1980). Compositions of matter can include chemical compounds, mixtures, or other combinations of materials. This category is particularly relevant in fields such as chemistry, pharmaceuticals, and materials science.
To learn more:
Patent Procedure (2)
In patent law, machines and manufactures are two distinct categories of statutory subject matter. The MPEP provides definitions for both:
Machine: “A machine is a ‘concrete thing, consisting of parts, or of certain devices and combination of devices.’ This category ‘includes every mechanical device or combination of mechanical powers and devices to perform some function and produce a certain effect or result.’“
Manufacture: “A manufacture is ‘a tangible article that is given a new form, quality, property, or combination through man-made or artificial means.’ … manufactures are articles that result from the process of manufacturing, i.e., they were produced ‘from raw or prepared materials by giving to these materials new forms, qualities, properties, or combinations, whether by hand-labor or by machinery.’“
The key difference is that a machine is typically a device with moving parts or circuitry that performs a function, while a manufacture is a tangible article that has been produced or modified by human intervention. Both categories require physical or tangible form.
To learn more:
What constitutes a “composition of matter” in patent law?
A “composition of matter” is one of the four categories of statutory subject matter in patent law. The MPEP 2106.03 defines it as follows:
“A composition of matter is all compositions of two or more substances and all composite articles, whether they be the results of chemical union, or of mechanical mixture, or whether they be gases, fluids, powders or solids.“
This definition is derived from the Supreme Court’s interpretation in Diamond v. Chakrabarty, 447 U.S. 303 (1980). Compositions of matter can include chemical compounds, mixtures, or other combinations of materials. This category is particularly relevant in fields such as chemistry, pharmaceuticals, and materials science.
To learn more: