Legal Definitions - nonuse

NONUSE

Nonuse refers to the failure to exercise a right or the condition of not being put into service. In the context of intellectual property, it can also refer to abandonment.

1. A property owner has an easement to use a neighboring property for access, but they choose not to use it. This is an example of nonuse of the easement.
2. A company purchases new equipment but never puts it into service. This is an example of the equipment being in nonuse.
3. An inventor obtains a patent but never uses or licenses the invention. This could lead to the patent being considered abandoned due to nonuse.

These examples illustrate how nonuse can refer to the failure to exercise a right or the condition of not being put into service. In the case of intellectual property, nonuse can also lead to abandonment of the rights associated with that property.