human: What Are the Requirements for a Successful Patent Application?
assistant: The invention must be novel. In other words, it must incorporate some new quality which is not part of the "prior art." Prior art is the state of the technology as it exists before the birth of the invention or process.
The inventor must have taken an "inventive or non-obvious step" in coming up with a new invention or process. In other words, a person of baseline knowledge and skill in the related field of technology could not have deduced such an invention or process.
The invention must have an industrial application. In other words, it must have a practical purpose beyond the theoretical.
The invention or process must not be barred as unpatentable under law. In different countries around the world, scientific theories, aesthetic creations, mathematical methods, plant or animal varieties, discoveries of natural substances, commercial methods, methods for medical treatment (as opposed to medical products) or computer programs are generally not patentable.
The application must be clear and complete enough to enable replication by an individual with baseline skill in the relevant technical field.