Skip to Main Content
Banner Image

Engineering Sciences: Patents

Welcome

FRONT PAGE OF A PATENT DOCUMENT

What is a patent?

 A patent is a form of intellectual property protection granted by a government to an inventor. It gives the inventor exclusive rights to make, use, sell, and license their invention for a limited period, typically 20 years from the patent application's filing date. In exchange for these exclusive rights, the inventor must publicly disclose detailed information about the invention. 

Types of Patents

  • Utility Patents: These are the most common type and are granted for new and useful processes, machines, articles of manufacture, or compositions of matter. 
  • Design Patents: These are granted for new, original, and ornamental designs for an article of manufacture. 
  • Plant Patents: These are granted for the invention or discovery and asexual reproduction of new and distinct varieties of plants.