這三個術(shù)語是指美國等西方專利法（patent law)所規(guī)定的申請專利的二大基本要件（three basic requirements of patentability[1])。其中，utility為“實用性”，指能夠履行要求作為知識產(chǎn)權(quán)保護之發(fā)明主張的功能或達到其效果（capacity to perform a function or attain a result claimed for protection as intellectual property[2] ) ; nonobviousness為“非顯而易見性”，指發(fā)明必須不同于先前的技術(shù)，對發(fā)明領(lǐng)域具有通常技術(shù)的人而言其必須是非顯而易見的（The requirement that is quality must be demonstrated for an invention to be patentable. Nonobviousness may be demonstrated with evidence concerning prior art or with other objective evidence, such as commercial success or professional approval[3] ) ；novelty則為“新穎性”，指發(fā)明在形式（form)、功能（function)或性能(perfonnance)幾方面必須新穎，且不能在先前已經(jīng)取得專利，或出版說明或為他人所知或使用（If the invention has been previously patented，described in a publication，or known or used by others, it is not novel[4] ) 。

[1]參見李榮甫、宋雷主編：《法律英語教程》，法律出版社1999年版，第119 ~ 121 頁。"In patent law，utility is one of the three basic requirements of patentability, the others being nonobviousness and novelty" , Cf. Bryan A. Gamer, Black's Law Dictionary t 7th edition，at p. 1544, West Group (1999).

[2] Cf. Bryan A. Gamer, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th edition, at p. 1544, West Group (1999).

[3] Id. at p. 1079.

[4] Cf. USCA, Section 102 p. 35. 

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