What is the “same or corresponding technical feature” in unity of invention?
What is the “same or corresponding technical feature” in unity of invention?
The “same or corresponding technical feature” in unity of invention refers to the technical relationship among the claimed inventions that defines a contribution over the prior art. According to MPEP 1850:
“The expression ‘special technical features’ is defined in PCT Rule 13.2 as meaning those technical features that define a contribution which each of the inventions, considered as a whole, makes over the prior art.”
This concept is crucial in determining whether multiple inventions in an international application have unity of invention. The inventions must be linked by at least one common or corresponding special technical feature to be considered as having unity of invention.
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