Definition
Novelty is the legal requirement that an invention be new, meaning no single piece of prior art already describes every element of the claimed invention.
Why It Matters Legally
Novelty is a threshold every patent must clear. If even one prior art reference shows the whole invention, the claim fails. Understanding novelty before filing helps inventors avoid claims that will be rejected as already known.
Example Use Case
An inventor wants to patent a folding chair, but a search reveals an identical chair was sold years earlier, so the invention lacks novelty and cannot be patented.
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Related Terms
Prior Art, Non-Obviousness, Anticipation, Patentability, Patent Search