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Patentable subject matter

Revision as of 06:47, 12 July 2010 by Ciaran (talk | contribs) (Related pages on {{SITENAME}}: rm retired cat: Category:Non-patentable ideas)

Patentable subject matter is the patentability criterion which defines the types of innovation that can be patented.

In the USA, when the context makes it obvious that patents are the topic, this is sometimes called statuary subject matter.

For example, in all or most countries, mathematical formulas are considered not to be patentable subject matter. Therefore, even if a mathematical formula fulfils the other criteria (it's new, it's original, it's useful), it cannot be patented.

The goal of anti-software-patent campaigns is to have definitions of patentable subject matter clearly exclude software ideas.

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Per-country explanations