The government grants a patent to a person or business, which prevents others from producing, utilizing, importing, or selling the patented process or product without permission. In return for this privilege, the applicant is required to reveal all of the invention's details. When a product or procedure is successfully patented, its owner can gain a significant competitive edge over competitors. It becomes part of the public domain after its 20-year validity.
A patent is a legal protection granted to inventors for their new, useful, and non-obvious inventions.
It gives the inventor exclusive rights to make, use, sell, or license the invention for a limited time, usually 20 years.
Utility Patents: Protect new processes, machines, compositions of matter, or improvements to existing inventions.
Design Patents: Protect the unique visual qualities of an object.
Plant Patents: Granted to anyone who invents or discovers a new variety of plant.
A patent grants exclusive rights to the inventor for a fixed period (usually 20 years from the filing date for utility patents).
After this period, the invention enters the public domain, allowing others to use or sell it without permission.
Once a patent is granted, the inventor can license or sell the patent rights to others.
This allows inventors to monetize their inventions without necessarily producing or marketing the products themselves.
Patent rights are territorial, meaning a patent granted in one country does not automatically provide protection in others.
Inventors need to file for patents in each country where they seek protection or use systems like the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) to simplify international filings.