A patent is the legal right to exclusive use of a new technology. Patenting an invention guarantees the inventor the exclusive right to develop his new invention. Patents are considered public information.
- Patents exist to allow inventors to reveal their inventions to the public without having to worry about losing the profits that would result from others producing their inventions.
- If an inventor can convince the patent office that their invention is new and useful, the inventor will be issued a patent. A patent prevents other people from making or selling the patented invention for a period of time (usually around 20 years) from the filing of the patent.
- Patents are usually enforced through civil lawsuits. A patent holder can sue someone whom they believe is infringing on their patent.
- While only the inventor can apply for a patent, once they own a patent, they can sell it to someone else.
- In most cases patents only apply for one particular country, but some countries may have treaties in which they agree to have their patents apply for each other.
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