Legal Definitions - lack-of-enablement rejection

Definition: Lack-of-enablement rejection is a finding by a patent examiner that a patent claim is unpatentable because its specification does not provide enough information to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the invention.

Example: An inventor files a patent application for a new type of battery that can store more energy than existing batteries. However, the specification in the application does not provide enough information on how to make the battery or how to use it. The patent examiner issues a lack-of-enablement rejection, stating that the specification is insufficient to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the invention.

This example illustrates how a lack-of-enablement rejection can occur when the specification in a patent application does not provide enough information to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the invention.