Inventive step

One of the criteria of patentability also called non-obviousness (see below). For the purposes of written opinions of the International Searching Authority and international preliminary reports on patentability (Chapter II of the PCT), a claimed invention shall be considered to involve an inventive step (to be non-obvious) if, having regard to the prior art as defined in the Regulations, it is not, at the prescribed relevant date, obvious to a person skilled in the art.