Patentabilities

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The qualities or characteristics that make an invention eligible for exclusive rights
2. The conditions under which an innovation can be legally protected as an invention
3. The aspects that determine whether a discovery qualifies for patent protection under intellectual property law

Etymology: "Patentabilities" is simply the plural of "patentability," the noun for the qualities that make an invention eligible for a patent. The base word, "patent," comes from Latin "patere," meaning "to lie open" or "to be open," which is why a patent was originally an open letter from a sovereign, one that could be read by anyone and granted a right publicly. The ending does most of the work in this word. "Patentability" is formed by adding the suffix "-ability" to "patent," and that suffix traces back through Latin "-abilitas," itself built from "-abilis," meaning "able to be" something. It passed through Middle French and Middle English before reaching its modern form, so a patentable invention is literally one that is able to be patented. The plural form exists because the criteria are counted separately: novelty, inventive step and industrial applicability are each treated as distinct patentability requirements, so legal writing often speaks of several of them at once.