Q: Can I get a patent on a liquid soap with a unique composition of chemicals?
The chemicals themselves are not unique, just the combination.
A: To merit a patent, the combination must be non-obious. There should be some synergy in the combination. Sometimes a combination may be considered obvious if each component works in a well-known way. A patent attorney may be able to see synergy where the inventor may not. This is because the legal interpretation of obviousness is based on a large number of rules, court decisions, and Patent Office practices.
A: Absolutely. Most of the patent applications that I write are on compositions that are composed of known ingredients.
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