Inventive step

Inventive step is a core patentability requirement. An invention must differ from the prior art in a way that would not have been obvious to a person skilled in the relevant technical field at the filing or priority date. The assessment focuses on the technical problem, the claimed solution and the knowledge available at that time, avoiding hindsight. In Swiss and European patent practice, a mere workshop modification or predictable combination of known features will usually not suffice, while a non-obvious technical contribution may.