noun
prior art
Technical term used in patent law to refer to all publicly available information before a given filing date.
特許出願の前に先行技術を調査する必要がある。
It is necessary to search for prior art before filing a patent application.
Compound of 先行 (prior, preceding) and 技術 (technology, art). The term is a direct translation of the English legal concept 'prior art'.