Patent Definition

A patent for an invention is a grant of a property right by the government to the inventor. Patents are granted for any new and useful industrial or technical process, machine, manufacture, or chemical composition of matter, or any new useful improvement thereof. The patent is granted upon the new machine, manufacture, etc., and not upon the idea or suggestion of the new machine. A complete description of the actual machine or other subject matter for which a patent is sought is required. The term of a patent is 20 years from the date on which the application for the patent was filed. Patents give the inventor the right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the invention in the United States or importing the invention into the United States.

3 Types of Patents

1. Utility Patent - any new and useful method, process, machine, device, manufactured item, or chemical compound.
2. Design Patent - new, original or ornamental design for an article of manufacture granted to protect the appearance rather than the function of a product.
3. Plant Patent - the invention or discovery of a plant variety that can be asexually reproduced (includes those such as grafts or spores).

Obtaining Copies of Patents

1. The United States Patent & Trademark Office website has made patent images available back to 1790 with a "TIFF" viewer upgrade. See instructions on their Web site for downloading a free TIFF viewer.
2. Given a patent number(s), we can send or fax copies to you, billing you 20¢ a page (no postage fee). Patents usually run between 7-14 pages.
3. The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, Office of Public Records, will send you copies of patents for a flat fee of $3.00 per patent (no postage fee) usually within one week. Call 1-800-972-6382.