What condition is stated in Pre-AIA 102(b) regarding patentability?

In Pre-AIA 102(b), the relevant condition regarding patentability is that the invention must be publicly known before the effective filing date of the patent application. This provision highlights the importance of the concept of prior art in determining what constitutes a novel invention. If an invention has been publicly known, used, or described in a printed publication before the filing date, it cannot be patented because it fails to meet the novelty requirement essential for patentability.

This condition ensures that the patent system rewards new and inventive ideas rather than ideas that have already been disclosed to the public. The disclosure of an invention to the public can come through various means such as publications, sales, or public demonstrations. If any of these activities occur before the effective filing date of a patent application, it can be used to challenge the novelty of the claimed invention, therefore influencing its patentability status significantly.

Other options allude to conditions relating to the timing of public knowledge or equivalent inventions, which do not accurately reflect the precise requirement stated in Pre-AIA 102(b).