Legal Definitions - statement of prior-art references

A statement of prior-art references is a document submitted during the patent-application process. It is used to reveal all relevant prior art during the patentability search. The statement must disclose all known patents, publications, and other references of prior art. This is done to ensure that the invention is truly novel and non-obvious.

For example, if someone invents a new type of phone case, they would need to submit a statement of prior-art references. This would include any existing phone cases that are similar to their invention. By doing this, they are showing that their invention is truly unique and not just a copy of something that already exists.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office provides a form called "Information Disclosure Citation" for this purpose. This form helps inventors to list all the relevant prior art references in a clear and organized way.

Overall, a statement of prior-art references is an important part of the patent-application process. It helps to ensure that only truly novel and non-obvious inventions are granted patents.