不請律師-自己申請專利(11): 下放幹部邂逅普姑娘

前麵說過，朋友們在描述你們的發明時，對幹部能下的問題一定要高度重視。可是，多下才算下呢？下得過火了，你費筆費墨費神費時，還沒啥用處(當然也無大害)。下得不夠更糟糕，專利局可能把你拒了，前功盡棄。盡管我非常不願意引進新概念來煩擾大家，但這兒我實在是繞不過去，不引進不行了。

美國專利法對幹部能下的要求是這樣規定的: The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
這兒提到一個人，名字很長，叫作“any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected”. 國內專利這行有個大致接近的名字，叫作本領域普通技術人員。不管怎樣，大家知道有這麽個人，就比如是搞軟件的普通一族，搞生物技術的普通一族，搞電子工程的普通一族，搞化學合成的普通一族，搞機械的普通一族等等，為簡化行文，我們把它叫普族人。普族人在專利法實踐中無處不在，從審批專利的標準，到專利侵權CLAIM的解釋，再到CLAIM和被控產品或方法的“對號入座”等等，普族人都在垂簾聽政。因為普族人與你如此親密相關，所以你要是個男發明人，最好像我一樣將其當成一個普姑娘。你要是個女發明人，誠勸你將其當成一個普小夥(下同不再贅述)。這樣大家感覺都好一些。
幹部能下，就是下到你能用full, clear, concise, and exact terms 描寫你的發明，而且達到一個程度，那就是能夠enable普姑娘make and use你的發明。這就是所謂的enablement requirement。
美國專利法還有一個別的國家都沒有的要求，就是你愛普姑娘就要愛到敞開心扉，毫無保留。把你內心深處知道的最好的東西，即best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention，奉獻給普姑娘。不像在中國，你可以對普姑娘保留心中的不可告人的小秘密，而不在SPEC裏麵描述這個best mode。這個地方是專利法和商業秘密法的一個接口。
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更精確的專業研究請參:

1.71 Detailed description and specification of the invention.

(a) The specification must include a written description of the invention or discovery and of the manner and process of making and using the same, and is required to be in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which the invention or discovery appertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same.

(b) The specification must set forth the precise invention for which a patent is solicited, in such manner as to distinguish it from other inventions and from what is old. It must describe completely a specific embodiment of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter or improvement invented, and must explain the mode of operation or principle whenever applicable. The best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention must be set forth.

(c) In the case of an improvement, the specification must particularly point out the part or parts of the process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter to which the improvement relates, and the description should be confined to the specific improvement and to such parts as necessarily cooperate with it or as may be necessary to a complete understanding or description of it…

1.83 Content of drawing.

(a) The drawing in a nonprovisional application must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. However, conventional features disclosed in the description and claims, where their detailed illustration is not essential for a proper understanding of the invention, should be illustrated in the drawing in the form of a graphical drawing symbol or a labeled representation (e.g., a labeled rectangular box). In addition, tables and sequence listings that are included in the specification are, except for applications filed under 35 U.S.C. 371, not permitted to be included in the drawings.

(b) When the invention consists of an improvement on an old machine the drawing must when possible exhibit, in one or more views, the improved portion itself, disconnected from the old structure, and also in another view, so much only of the old structure as will suffice to show the connection of the invention therewith.