👉 The term "nonpatentable" refers to a patent application that is not eligible for protection under existing patents. The term was coined in the early 20th century by American patent attorney and lawyer, Alexander Graham Bell, as an alternative to "patentable." This term was used to distinguish between inventions that are feasible but not yet patented, and those that have already been patented. Nonpatentable applications typically refer to inventions that are technically feasible but do not meet the requirements for
