Legal Definitions - utility

Definition: Utility refers to the quality of serving a function that benefits society or the capacity to perform a function or attain a result claimed for protection as intellectual property.

• Patents: In patent law, utility is one of the three basic requirements of patentability, along with nonobviousness and novelty. It refers to the benefit or advantage of the patented product or process over the products or processes that had been used to produce similar results in the past.
• Public utility: A public utility is a company that provides necessary services to the public, such as telephone lines and service, electricity, and water. These companies operate as monopolies but are subject to governmental regulation.

The examples illustrate how utility can refer to both the protection of intellectual property and the provision of essential services to the public. In the case of patents, utility is a requirement for a product or process to be granted a patent, as it must provide a benefit or advantage over existing technology. In the case of public utilities, utility refers to the essential services that these companies provide to the public, which are subject to government regulation to ensure fair and equitable access.