What is required for a patent to be granted regarding the invention's nature?

For a patent to be granted, an invention must be non-obvious, meaning that it should not be something that an expert in the field could easily deduce from prior art or existing knowledge. This requirement helps ensure that patents are only awarded for inventions that offer a significant advancement over what is already known, which encourages innovation and protects the interests of inventors.

An invention that is merely a straightforward enhancement of an existing idea does not meet this criterion for patentability, as it does not contribute sufficient novelty or unique insight. The non-obviousness standard serves to filter out inventions that lack sufficient inventiveness, thereby rewarding those that truly advance technological or scientific boundaries.

Other requirements for a patent, such as being practical or commercially viable, while relevant in different contexts, do not specifically impact the fundamental legal criteria for patentability the way non-obviousness does. Documentation is necessary for the patent application process but does not define the nature of the invention itself.