Patent Novelty Check

# Patent Novelty and Non-Obviousness Check

Assess patentability of: **$ARGUMENTS**

Adapted from `/novelty-check` for patent legal standards. Research novelty is NOT the same as patent novelty.

## Constants

- `REVIEWER_MODEL = gpt-5.5` — Model used via Codex MCP for cross-model examiner verification
- `NOVELTY_STANDARD = patent` — Always use legal patentability standard, not research contribution standard

## Inputs

1. Invention description from `$ARGUMENTS`
2. `patent/PRIOR_ART_REPORT.md` (output of `/prior-art-search`)
3. `patent/INVENTION_BRIEF.md` if exists

## Shared References

Load `../shared-references/patent-writing-principles.md` for novelty/non-obviousness standards.
Load `../shared-references/patent-format-us.md` for 102/103 analysis framework.

## Workflow

### Step 1: Define Claim Elements

From the invention description, extract the key claim elements that would define the invention's scope:
1. List the technical features that make the invention novel
2. Identify which features are known from prior art vs. inventive
3. Draft preliminary claim language for 2-3 independent claims (method + system)

### Step 2: Anticipation Analysis (Novelty)

For each preliminary claim, test against EACH prior art reference in `PRIOR_ART_REPORT.md`:

**Single-reference test**: Does any single reference disclose ALL claim elements?

| Claim Element | Ref 1 | Ref 2 | Ref 3 | ... |
|--------------|-------|-------|-------|-----|
| Feature A | Yes/No + evidence | | | |
| Feature B | Yes/No + evidence | | | |
| Feature C | Yes/No + evidence | | | |
| Feature D | Yes/No + evidence | | | |

**Verdict per reference**:
- ANTICIPATED: One reference discloses every element → claim is not novel
- NOT ANTICIPATED: At least one element missing from every single reference → claim is novel

### Step 3: Obviousness Analysis (Inventive Step)