Patents

A patent is a legal right granted by a government to an inventor, giving them exclusive rights to make, use, sell, or distribute their invention for a specified period, typically 20 years from the filing date. This right prevents others from exploiting the invention without the inventor’s consent. To obtain a patent, the invention must be novel, non-obvious, and useful. Patents are intended to encourage innovation by providing inventors with the protection necessary to invest time and resources into developing new products and technologies. There are different types of patents, including utility patents for new inventions or functional improvements, design patents for new, original ornamental designs, and plant patents for new varieties of plants. The patent system aims to balance the interests of inventors with public access to knowledge, as once a patent expires, the invention enters the public domain, allowing others to build upon it.