What is a patent rejection, and what are common causes?
Reviewed by
Dominic Davies, patent attorney (20+ years)
· Last reviewed
September 7, 2026
A patent rejection most commonly cites prior art that anticipates or makes the invention obvious, unclear or overly broad claim language, or subject matter that isn't eligible for patent protection. The rejection isn't necessarily final; most applications go through at least one round of rejection and response before allowance.
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