abandoned suppressed or concealed
abandoned, suppressed, or concealed, adj. Patents. Intentionally or accidentally hidden from public notice, not reduced to practice, or not patented. • Another person’s earlier invention will not be considered prior art if the first inventor abandoned the field to others or is held to have lost the right to patent by suppressing or concealing the invention. But if the suppression or concealment occurred after the art became known to the public, then it still qualifies as prior art. See MPEP § 2138.03. [Cases: Patents 82. C.J.S. Patents §§ 114–118.]
