Theory 188/Patents/Threshold lens
Grants Need a Novelty Threshold
The claim
A patent is granted only above a threshold in the ratio of inventive step to prior art density, so crowded fields require larger steps.
01Mechanism
Examiners compare against existing art; the ratio determines whether the step is judged non-obvious.
02Prediction
Grant rates should track prior art density.
03Refutation
Grants tracking invention quality would remove prior art.