What is the “Article of Manufacture” category for patentable inventions?

An article of manufacture is one of the four general categories of patentable inventions, as defined by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. An article of manufacture, as it relates to patent law, describes any new or non-obvious physical product. An article of manufacture is closely related to a machine, in regards to how each category is defined under patent law, with the one important distinction being that articles of manufacture are generally considered to be the more relatively simple inventions with few or no moving parts. Most inventions fall into this category.

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The content of this article is not intended to be, and does not constitute, legal advice and does not create attorney-client privilege. Consult the attorney of your choice before embarking on any legal matter or any document preparation/filing.

Dr. Thomas R. (Terry) Williamson III is a Patent Attorney practicing in Atlanta, Georgia.

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