What Is A Patent?

WHAT IS A PATENT?

A patent is a monopoly granted for a limited period of time by the United States government through its Patent & Trademark Office over the production and sale of an invention. The patent does not turn the government into a policeman to enforce the patent. It only gives the patent holder the right to use laws to prevent other persons from producing and marketing a similar device, and to recover damages and costs resulting from the sale of the infringing product.

There are three types of patents: (1) a utility patent (the better mousetrap); (2) a design patent (Air Jordan basketball shoes); and (3) a plant patent (a new type of corn, for example).

Law Offices of Douglas Clark Hollmann