How does the concept of analogous arts apply to anticipation under 35 U.S.C. 102?
This page is an FAQ based on guidance from the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only: it is not legal advice.
The concept of analogous arts also has relevance in the context of anticipation under 35 U.S.C. 102. The MPEP provides a reference for this application:
See MPEP ยง 2131.05 for a discussion of analogous and nonanalogous art in the context of 35 U.S.C. 102.
(MPEP 904.01(c))
In the context of anticipation, the relevance of analogous arts is less stringent than in obviousness determinations. A reference in an analogous art can be used to reject a claim under 35 U.S.C. 102 if it discloses all the elements of the claimed invention, regardless of whether it is from the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention or reasonably pertinent to the problem faced by the inventor.