What does "novelty" signify regarding patentability?

Novelty is a fundamental requirement in patent law that signifies the invention must be new and not previously disclosed. This means that the invention cannot have been known or used by others in the same field before the patent application was filed. For an invention to be considered novel, it must be distinct from all prior art, which includes any public information regarding existing inventions or publications prior to the patent application date. If an invention has already been disclosed in any form, it fails this requirement, which is critical in determining patentability.

In contrast, practical utility relates to the usefulness of the invention but does not address its novelty. Generating profit and being user-friendly pertain more to marketability and the end-user experience rather than the core criteria of patentability. Thus, while these aspects can be important for commercialization, they do not influence whether an invention meets the novelty requirement necessary for patent approval.