What does it mean when something is "anticipated" in patent terms?

In patent terminology, something is considered "anticipated" when it teaches every aspect of the claimed invention. This concept is rooted in the principle that if a prior art reference discloses all elements of a claimed invention, then the claim cannot be considered novel and is therefore unpatentable. Anticipation is a critical concept in assessing the novelty of a patent claim.

When a prior art reference fully embodies the claimed invention, it indicates that the same invention was already known before the patent application was filed. Consequently, the presence of such a disclosure in prior art can serve as a strong basis for rejecting the patent claim due to lack of novelty. This means that for a claim to be anticipated, it must be shown that everything described in the invention is included in the prior knowledge already available, leaving no new, non-obvious aspects for the current application to contribute.

Other options do not capture the essence of anticipation in patent law. Something previously unknown does not imply anticipation since anticipation requires the existence of something that explicitly teaches the claimed features. Information supporting a patent application does not constitute anticipation; rather, it can enhance the application's credibility but does not negate the need for novelty. Lastly, the notion of a temporary feature does not relate to anticipation, as anticipation