functional limitation

functional limitation. Patents. In a patent application, the definition of an invention by what it does rather than what it is. • A functional limitation is not inherently invalid, but it is examined closely because it tends to be too broad, claiming every possible way of doing the same thing. MPEP 2173.05(g). See functional rejection under REJECTION. [Cases: Patents 101(3).]

---

词条贡献者

译员Terence，毕业于国内顶尖法学院，擅长翻译有关能源和自然资源领域的法律文件。