Obviousness

A characteristic that makes an invention predicable to a person having ordinary skill in the art who has knowledge of all of the prior art. No "inventive step" was involved in conceiving the invention. One of the most difficult terms in patent law to define and understand. MPEP 2141, MPEP 2141.01, MPEP 2141.02, MPEP 2141.03, MPEP 2142.

If the invention could readily be deduced at the time the invention was made from publicly available information (prior art) by a person of ordinary skill in that art, it is obvious. Prior art may be combined to show that an invention would have been obvious. (For example, the teachings of two or more prior art patents or a prior art patent and a prior art article may be combined). If an invention would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made, then it is not patentable.