prototipat

Prototipat is a term with no widely established definition in mainstream reference works. As of now, it does not appear in major dictionaries or encyclopedias, and its meaning tends to vary by context and community. In some informal uses, prototypat is treated as a portmanteau of prototype and patent, referring to a prototype design conceived with patentability or intellectual property considerations in mind. In other settings, it is used as a neologism for an early or minimal prototype whose purpose is to explore a concept enough to determine whether pursuing patent protection is worthwhile. Because there is no standard definition, the term can be ambiguous and its intent may shift between discussions of product development, legal strategy, or rhetoric within startup and maker cultures.

Possible interpretations emphasize a few common ideas: a fast, low-cost prototype created to test a novel feature or mechanism; a preliminary artifact prepared to illustrate an idea to patent counsel or potential investors; or a mis-spelling or alternative form of the more familiar word prototype. In practice, any given use of prototypat should be interpreted from its surrounding context, since the term does not have a settled technical or legal meaning.

See also: prototype, proof of concept, minimum viable product, patentability, patent strategy.