Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Obviousness double patenting is when someone tries to get a patent for an invention that is too similar to another invention they already have a patent for. This is not allowed because you can't have more than one patent for the same thing. It's like trying to get two stickers for the same picture. There are two types of double patenting: same-invention double patenting, which is when the inventions are exactly the same, and obviousness-type double patenting, which is when the inventions are very similar but have some small differences that can't be patented. If someone tries to get a double patent, their application can be rejected or their patent can be invalidated.
Obviousness double patenting is when an inventor tries to patent an invention that is too similar to another invention they have already patented or have a pending patent application for. This can happen in two ways:
For example, if an inventor has already patented a new type of phone case that is made of silicone, they cannot then try to patent a phone case that is made of rubber, as this is too similar and would be considered obviousness double patenting.