What are the requirements for getting a patent?

There are five basic requirements that an invention must meet in order for a patent to be granted to an inventor:

1. Patentable subject matter - the invention must be something which is allowed to be patented.

2. Novelty - the invention must not already be known to the public.

3. Utility - the invention must be useful.

4. Nonobviousness - the invention must be a nontrivial extension of what is already publicly known.

5. Enablement - the inventor must disclose and describe the invention in his patent application sufficiently to allow others to make and use the invention.