doctrine of equivalents
Definition
Legal principle that, in addition to literal infringement (which is direct and unambiguous), a patent can be infringed indirectly. It covers insubstantial or minor changes to a patented device or process that make a copy fall outside the declared scope of the patent but which, in practical terms, remains a duplicate of the patented item.
doctrine of equivalents is in the Corporate, Commercial, & General Law, Industries, Manufacturing, & Technology and Information & Knowledge Management subjects.
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