Businesses that deal with research, development, and technology protect their investments through patents. A patent provides the owner of an invention with exclusive rights in a country. It has the power to exclude others from creating, using, and selling the product without consent and permission from the owner. Section 101 of the U.S. Patent Act gives an extensive definition of the patent law.
The best patent attorneys produce strategic patenting that ensures maximum advantages for the business. They enable owners to retain the outcome of any developments. Therefore, the best patent attorneys can protect not only individual intellectual property but also establish the competitive edge of the business.
Criteria in Obtaining a Patent
Patents are essential when developing a technological invention. However, businesses should also keep in mind that not all outputs can be patented. It must undergo a lot of screening and should meet strict standards for it to be patent-eligible.
Novel – The product should be new and is not yet publicly recognized. One cannot patent something that is already being utilized by people. It also gives credit to the person whose invention provides new economic and scholarly benefits.
Inventive – An eligible patent product is made using an extensive skill set and is maximized through its potentials despite limited resources. It also motivates people to explore possibilities that were once thought of as not feasible. And since it relies on science and research, its potentials are backed up by objective evidence.
Useful – A product should be able to satisfy needs. It offers a wide array of advantageous services that can be used to meet universal needs. Also, it should be something that should benefit many people and not just an individual.
Eligible – Section 101 of the U.S. Patent Act states that only four types of inventions are deemed to be patentable. These are processes, machines, manufacturing systems, and matter compositions.
The Four Types of Patent
Because there are numerous kinds of innovation, the law-making bodies also identified types of a patent that best suits each discovery.
Utility Patent – It is a technical document that contains detailed instructions in using a machine or a process. New technologies are usually the recipient of this Congress-defined patent.
Provisional Patent – it is usually interchangeable with the utility patent, but it has its distinct qualities. The law protects the owner’s rights by providing evidence that the owner is in full possession of the product. The document states that the owner has full access and complete knowledge of how the invention works.
Design Patent – It protects the design of the invention. The product’s structure and the robust framework should not be used or imitated by another business.
Plant Patent – It is a special kind of patent that is only applicable to plants. This patent is given to new types of plants produced by asexual reproduction.
A patent is generally useful for any business or even individuals who want to contribute to society by producing a helpful invention. It does not only give proper credit to the owner, but it also initiates research and studies that can also benefit universal needs. Anything as important as patent requires high standards.
