Legal Definitions - genus

Definition: A group of similar things or organisms that share common characteristics and are classified together.

In legal terms, the word "genus" is used to describe a general category that includes several specific types or "species." For example, in patent law, "intellectual property" is the genus, while "patents" are a species within that genus. Similarly, "crime" is the genus, while "burglary" is a species within that genus.

In the law of sales, "genus" refers to a group of similar items that are interchangeable, while "species" refers to specific individual items. For example, if you were buying apples, the genus would be "fruit," while the species would be "Granny Smith apples" or "Red Delicious apples."

Overall, the concept of genus is used to help organize and classify things based on their similarities and differences.