In an Article About the Patents Held by the Research

In an article about the patents held by the Research Services Office at the University of Waterloo, it was written that none of the patents were there because someone set out to invent something new. "If we knew what it was that creates innovation, we would all be millionaires... it's chance, brilliance, an offhand remark...." We know that to obtain a patent we need to have created an "invention." Which of the following best defines a patentable invention?

A) A new and useful machine
B) An original artistic work
C) A significant scientific principle
D) Novel information used in a person's business which gives him or her a competitive edge
E) A unique mark identifying a business or product