Patents
A patent is the exclusive right to make, use or sell an invention in a country. Patents provide a powerful legal remedy against imitations of someone's invention. Only new and nonobvious inventions can be patented.
By IT-lawyer Arnoud Engelfriet (blog, contact).
Patentable inventions typically are products, such as machines, televisions or medicine, or methods of manufacture of a product. In many jurisdictions, software is patentable, and the USA also permits patents on so-called business method patents. To obtain a patent, the inventor must apply for a patent at a patent office. He must fully disclose the details of his invention. If the invention is new and nonobvious, the inventor will receive a 20-year patent right.
As patents provide very powerful legal remedies against infringers, more and more companies are turning to patent protection for their developments. In particular, the field of electronic business has seen an enormous growth in the number of patent applications and granted patents.
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Introduction to patents
- Crash course on patents
- Frequently asked questions on patents
- Differences between US and European patents
- The European Patent Convention (EPC)