식품 및 그 제조방법의 특허법적 보호에 관한 연구

As the importance of patents for food has been raised, this paper would like to discuss the patent protection of general foods and the manufacturing method including traditional foods. First, it is reviewed whether foods of which the essential purpose is to offer nutrients for human life sustaining can be patent subject matter and the types of patents in foods industry are classified dividing a substance invention and a method invention. Furthermore, the legal issue are checked out in the patent application cases in order that large corporations deprive home or small companies of their original recipes and mass manufacture. Particularly, concerning inventive step and non-obviousness, the patentability of inventions for food by sensory attributes such as its taste and flavor is reviewed. And this paper studies the legal issues caused by the difference of the subject matter between patents and utility models. This paper further summarizes the methods of providing a written description of the food invention focusing on the method of description for sensory attributes, means plus function claims and product by process claims. Finally, when patentabilities and infringements for food patent, the food's attributes characterized by their function, use, manufacturing and processing should be considered.