進しん歩ぽ性せい

noun

inventive step; non-obviousness

Patent-law term referring to the requirement that an invention is not obvious to a person skilled in the art, given the prior art. Used in contexts such as patent examination and validity disputes.

• 特とっ許きょを取しゅ得とくするには、発はつ明めいに進しん歩ぽ性せいが認みとめられなければならない。

  To obtain a patent, the invention must be recognized as having an inventive step.

• 審しん査さ官かんは、先せん行こう技ぎ術じゅつに基もとづいて進しん歩ぽ性せいの有う無むを判はん断だんする。

  The examiner judges the presence or absence of an inventive step based on prior art.