“Section 102(b) of the Patent Act of 1952 provides that no person is entitled to patent an ‘invention’ that has been ‘on sale’ more than one year before filing a patent application. We granted certiorari to determine whether the commercial marketing of a newly invented product may mark the beginning of the 1–year period even though the invention has not yet been reduced to practice.”
“When Pfaff accepted the purchase order for his new sockets prior to April 8, 1981, his invention was ready for patenting. The fact that the manufacturer was able to produce the socket using his detailed drawings and specifications demonstrates this fact. Furthermore, those sockets contained all the elements of the invention claimed in the ‘377 patent. Therefore, Pfaff’s ‘377 patent is invalid because the invention had been on sale for more than one year in this country before he filed his patent application.”
