Legal Definitions - inoperative

Definition: Inoperative is an adjective that describes something that has no force or effect, and is not operative. For example, an inoperative statute is a law that is not being enforced or followed.

In the context of patents, inoperative refers to the condition of an invention that is not capable of functioning as described in the patent application. An invention is considered inoperative if an exemplification, built exactly as described in the patent, won't operate, or if further experiment and invention are required to make it operate.

Example: The company's new product was found to be inoperative during testing, as it did not perform as described in the patent application.

Explanation: This example illustrates how an invention can be considered inoperative if it does not function as described in the patent application. In this case, the company's new product did not perform as expected during testing, indicating that further experimentation and invention may be required to make it work.