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Freedom to operate (FTO)
Whether making, using or selling a product risks infringing in-force patents in a market — different from patentability.
SallyIP builds feature-to-limitation matrices; see patent AI. FTO is risk analysis, never a guarantee.
Related definitions
- Patent AI — Software assisting patent professionals with prior-art search, novelty assessment, drafting, office-action response and portfolio analysis.
- Prior art — All public information available before a filing date — patents, publications, public use, sales — that can defeat novelty.
- Novelty search — A single-reference test: does one prior-art document disclose every element of the claimed invention?
What is freedom to operate (fto)?
Whether making, using or selling a product risks infringing in-force patents in a market — different from patentability. SallyIP builds feature-to-limitation matrices; see patent AI. FTO is risk analysis, never a guarantee.
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