EOC Week 3: Jeopardy Questions

1. A patent search may be conducted after a patent has been issues for the purpose of discovering any fact that might be used to invalidate, and thus break, the patent.

 - What is validity search? 

 2. Under this doctrine, a later device or process may be held to not infringe the patent on an earlier invention, even though the patents claims fully cover the later device or process, if the structure, function, or result of the two inventions is substantially different.

 - What is a negative doctrine of equivalents? 

 3. When patents have claims that overlap each other in a manner that the invention claimed in one patent cannot be used or sold without infringing the claims of the other patent and vice versa.

 - What is a blocking patent?