What is prior art in patent law?

Prior art is any evidence that an invention was already known before a patent application filing date. It includes patents, publications, products, and public disclosures that can be used to challenge a patent's novelty or non-obviousness.

What is anticipation in patent law?

Anticipation occurs when a single prior art reference discloses every element of a patent claim, making the claim invalid under 35 USC 102. The reference must disclose the elements either explicitly or inherently.

How does semantic distance help with prior art analysis?

Semantic distance measures how closely related the concepts in a patent claim are to concepts in prior art. Lower distance suggests higher risk of anticipation or obviousness, while greater distance suggests the claim may be more novel.

Prior Art Distance Calculator - Analyze Patent Novelty

Combined Coverage

Elements found in any reference

Best Single Ref

Highest single reference

Uncovered Elements

Not found in any reference

Distance Score

Higher = farther from prior art

🔍 Combination Analysis

📊 Per-Reference Analysis

Similarity % = how much of your claim this single reference covers (higher = more risk). Found = elements fully disclosed (≥70% keyword match). Partial = elements partially disclosed (30-70% match). Missing = elements not disclosed (<30% match).

⚠️ Prior Art Devastation Level

Based on your analysis, select the appropriate devastation level. This affects the validity score cap in the Claim Analyzer.

✓ None

Meaningful distance from all prior art.

⚡ Obvious (103)

Combination of references suggests the claim.

⚠️ Near-Anticipation

Single reference missing only minor elements.

🚫 Anticipation (102)

All elements in single reference.

📋 Element-by-Element Analysis

Review each element. Colored tags show which reference(s) disclose each element. Click buttons to override status.

📖 Score Interpretation Guide

Distance 7-10: Strong Position

Claim has significant distance from all prior art. Multiple elements not disclosed anywhere. Low invalidity risk.

Distance 4-6: Moderate Risk

Some elements found across references. May face obviousness (§103) challenge if references combinable. Review motivation to combine.

Distance 0-3: High Risk

Most/all elements found. If single reference: anticipation (§102) risk. If combined: strong obviousness case. Consider amendments.

📊 Prior Art Distance Calculator

📝 Patent Claim

📚 Prior Art References

🔍 Combination Analysis

📊 Per-Reference Analysis

⚠️ Prior Art Devastation Level

📋 Element-by-Element Analysis

📖 Score Interpretation Guide